FE INSURANCE 
ALESMANSHIP 

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FORBES I. iNDS, 



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Jum and Jubstanct J tries 



Life Insurance Salesmanship 



BY 

FORBES LINDSAY 



PRICE $3.00 



Copyright 1920. by Forbes Lindsay 



TIMES-MIRROR PRINTING AND BINDING HOUSE 

Los Angeles, Calif. 

1920 






45 



SUBJECT INDEX 

Page 
Life Insurance Salesmanship 3 

Essentials of Success 7 

Personality 13 

Scientific Salesmanship 20 

Purpose 25 

Interest 29 

System , 34 

Becord Card 39 

Knowledge of the Goods 40 

Hard- and Steady Work 45 

Prospects 49 

Preparing Presentations 54 

The Approach 59 

The Second Interview 63 

Creating Desire 67 

Concerning Closing 72 

The Psychology of a Sale 76 

Settlements and Deliveries 80 

Income Insurance (Part 1) 85 

Income Insurance (Part 2) 89 

Business Insurance (Part 1) 94 

Business Insurance (Part 2) 98 



0CLA576938 



CHAPTER 1. 

LIFE INSURANCE SALESMANSHIP. 

It is questionable whether any business offers 
equal advantages with Life Insurance Salesmanship 
to the ambitious and energetic man who adopts it 
as a permanent vocation. If he possesses the quali- 
fications for success in any calling, he can hardly 
fail to succeed in this. He may enter it assured that 
the full fruits of his efforts will be realized. Ac- 
complishment is unfailingly recognized and re- 
warded. Pull with the powers that be is secured 
only by performance. The successful salesman is 
the most independent and valued employe of a Life 
Insurance company. 

Any attempt to make a convenience of this highly 
specialized business can only result in humiliation 
and disappointment. Nowadays, the companies and 
the public demand sincerity of purpose and tech- 
nical efficiency in the Life Insurance salesman. To 
the man who enters upon it with the same earnest 
deliberation that he would bring to bear in the pur- 
suit of a profession, Life Insurance Salesmanship 
offers as fine a field of endeavor as any that might 
be chosen. 

In the present age, Salesmanship is recognized as 
the most important function in business. It is no 
exaggeration to say that Life Insurance is the high- 
est form of salesmanship and the most profitable. 
It affords scope for all the talents that a man may 
bring to bear upon it. Its rewards are practically 



unlimited. Its achievements entail a satisfaction 
which cannot be derived from selling goods or cul- 
tivating land. There is no calling in which a man's 
work is more productive of benefit to his fellows 
than it is in Life Insurance, honestly and indus- 
triously pursued. 

Is there any business or profession of equal dig- 
nity or profit which one may enter without expense 
for education, training, equipment or stock? Here 
you are furnished with office accommodations and 
all the material necessary to your work, absolutely 
gratis. You have the standing and influence that 
accrue from the representation of one of the leading 
corporations of your country. You may do a busi- 
ness netting you $5,000 a year, — or $10,000, for that 
matter, — without any cash outlay on your part. 
The sole investment that you are called upon to 
make is in time and energy. 

The agent of an established Life Insurance com- 
pany has reason to congratulate himself upon being 
in a more permanent and profitable business than 
most. The man who becomes an expert salesman of 
Life Insurance has a lucrative occupation available 
to him at all times. What is more, the opportunity 
for engaging in it is open everywhere and under a 
variety of conditions. He need have no anxiety 
about the stability of the concern which he repre- 
sents. He is not subject to the accidents and haz- 
ards of commercial affairs. He is dealing in a com- 
modity which will always be stable, with a con- 
stantly growing demand. His customers, or patrons, 
are bound to him, not by single and irregular trans- 
actions, but by a connection generally extending 
over a long term of years, which affords him excep- 



tional opportunity to cultivate their good-will and 
gain their influence. His business is constantly ex- 
panding upon a permanent basis, and his income 
coincidently increasing. 

A man may make Life Insurance Salesmanship 
his vocation at an age when he would be too old to 
enter one of the professions. Indeed, the mature 
man of forty, or older, with the advantage of busi- 
ness experience, has, perhaps, the best prospect of 
making a success of Life Insurance Salesmanship. 
Great and diversified opportunities are to be found 
in the business. There is no limit to the extent or 
direction of possible advancement. You may be- 
come one of thousands of free and independent 
salesmen whose incomes range from $5,000 to $25,- 
000 a year. You may develop one of the many pros- 
perous and wealthy agencies associated with every 
company. Your talents may be adapted to educa- 
tional or supervisory work, in connection with 
which there are numerous desirable positions. The 
field is wide open, without favor or restriction. In 
no branch of business is initiative encouraged to the 
same extent or reared in the same degree. A great 
majority of the executives and officials have risen 
from the ranks and a considerable proportion of 
them began their careers by selling Life Insurance. 

The man who is looking for an easy job, rather 
than a promising vocation, had better search else- 
where. Life Insurance Salesmanship is not without 
its difficulties. If it were, the ranks of its salesmen 
would be crowded with incompetents and the re- 
muneration would be no more than commensurate 
with the work. In fact, Life Insurance Salesman- 
ship has been aptly described as "the best paid hard 



work in the world." In the first place, it is a tech- 
nical business. One must master its principles and 
practices. This may, however, be accomplished in 
a comparatively short time, if interest and intelli- 
gence are brought to bear on the task. In the busi- 
ness of Life Insurance there is no royal road to suc- 
cess. As in any sphere of worthy activity, a man 
must work hard, but in no other calling will the re- 
turns for intelligently directed energy be surer and 
richer. 

The succeeding chapters of this volume treat of 
the personal qualifications and the practical meth- 
ods that make for success in Life Insurance Sales- 
manship. It is not possible, however, to cover the 
ground thoroughly in any book. At best it can but 
afford guide-posts and indicate the route to be trav- 
eled. Comprehensive and detailed instruction can 
only be given in a systematic course of study. The 
agent will find this treatise effective as an introduc- 
tion to the "Lindsay System of Instruction in Life 
Insurance Salesmanship," which deals with the 
subject in a more extensive manner. 



CHAPTER 2. 
ESSENTIALS OF SUCCESS. 

There is no quality, no knowledge, no experience, 
no accomplishment, but may be turned to some ac- 
count in your business, — made to contribute in some 
degree to your success. We shall not consider these 
possibilities, at present, but confine our attention 
to 'the essentials of success, — the conditions which 
must exist before you can hope to make more than 
a mere livelihood from selling Life Insurance. 

In order to achieve a permanent and pronounced 
success you must possess the following seven quali- 
ties in a positive degree. None of them will be very 
difficult to acquire, if genuine desire stimulates the 
effort. 

Interest, Purpose, Earnestness, Honesty, Tact, 
" Knowledge of the Goods/ ' Confidence. 

You may be surprised by certain omissions from 
this list, but reflection will satisfy you that any 
qualities which have not been mentioned cannot be 
truly classified as essentials. A few important qual- 
ities are purposely excluded, because they are inev- 
itable concomitants of certain essentials. For ex- 
ample, earnestness, interest and purpose can hardly 
be present without the accompaniment of diligence. 

Interest is the enlivening factor in any effort, 
for, even when such an emotion as fear, or such a 
physical stimulus as hunger, is the motive of energy, 
Interest is deeply involved. Interest makes work 
pleasurable, which in its absence would be drudgery. 



It sharpens the faculties and stimulates the ener- 
gies. A natural consequence of Interest is concen- 
tration, in all its phases. Interest will promote per- 
severance and is the very essence of industry. 

Earnestness. I have not included enthusiasm in 
our list of essentials, although it is customary to 
give it a leading place among the qualifications for 
salesmanship. Enthusiasm is apt to be fleeting and 
ill-balanced. Earnestness is a more permanent, 
serviceable and dependable quality. Enthusiasm 
may be likened to the smoke and report of a rifle 
discharge ; Earnestness to the bullet. Both emanate 
from the same source, but one represents emotion; 
the other force. The effect of the former may be 
more ready, but that of the latter is more lasting. 
Another distinction is worth noting. Earnestness 
implies reality, truth, sincerity, honesty. Enthu- 
siasm is an excitement of the mind, not inconsistent 
with false ideals and sinister purposes. 

Honesty. The old adage, " honesty is the best 
policy/' applies with peculiar force to the vocation 
of the salesman. He must be genuinely honest in 
his relations to the concern he represents and to the 
persons with whom he transacts business. The best 
asset that he can create is a reputation for square 
dealing. It will act as a sinking fund, steadily earn- 
ing interest, and affording a perpetual source to 
draw upon for new business. 

You may not hope to make a permanent success 
in our business, unless you are thoroughly honest, — 
that is, sincere, loyal, frank, scrupulous and above- 
board. There are men who would not dream of 
cheating or lying outright, but who, nevertheless, 
practice petty deceits in their relations with cus- 



tomers and associates, not to mention fooling them- 
selves, which is the most futile form of dishonesty. 
The salesman must be honest with himself. He 
should be a severe critic in self-examination and an 
exacting taskmaster in self-discipline. 

Purpose, which is closely allied to ambition, fur- 
nishes the incentive for effort and so generates en- 
ergy. By providing a goal, it gives definite direc- 
tion to endeavor and excites desire, which is the 
mainspring of all activity. Purpose will act as a 
counter-poise to indolence, indifference, careless- 
ness, and other detrimental conditions. Purpose is 
considered such an important factor in success that 
an entire chapter has been devoted to it. 

Tact is intuitive appreciation of the fitness of 
things; the discernment that prompts proper speech 
and action. Tact embraces understanding of the 
feelings of others and insight to their motives. It 
implies experience as to the consequences of con- 
duct and a resultant subtlety of reasoning, espe- 
cially with reference to details. Tact is the lubri- 
cant that eliminates friction from human relations. 

In salesmanship, more than in any other vocation, 
Tact is an essential quality. The dealings of the 
salesman are largely with strangers, upon whom it 
is necessary that he should make a pleasing impres- 
sion. He is constantly skating on thin ice, so to 
speak. A thoughtless remark, an injudicious sug- 
gestion, or a crude action may destroy his prospect 
of a sale. He must depend to a great extent upon 
intuition for guidance. In other words, he must 
exercise Tact. 

"Knowledge of the Goods' ' is a broad term, tech- 
nically employed to indicate thorough familiarity 



with everything concerning the salesman's offer 
which may in any manner influence the sale. The 
meaning of the phrase is sometimes extended to 
embrace the processes of the sale, but we shall not 
accept this far-fetched application of it. 

"Whether a man is selling a concrete commodity, 
such as building brick, or an abstract consideration, 
such as Life Insurance, he should be in possession 
of all the knowledge of the subject of his offer that 
can possibly be used to advantage in informing the 
prospective purchaser, or influencing him to favor- 
able action. Confidence on the part of the prospect 
is almost always a potent factor in the transaction. 
One is not apt to have confidence in the salesman 
who displays ignorance regarding the thing in 
which he deals. 

Success in a sales effort depends very largely 
upon a clear and complete presentation of the prop- 
osition. A thorough "Knowledge of the Goods" is 
necessary to such a presentation. Still another 
highly important consequence of "Knowledge of 
the Goods" is the self-confidence with which it in- 
spires the salesman, than which nothing is more 
conducive to success in the sales effort. 

Confidence is the stabilizer of the salesman's 
efforts. He must have Confidence in the Company 
he represents, Confidence in the thing he offers for 
sale, and Confidence in his ability to sell it. The 
salesman who believes in himself and confidently 
counts on success as an ultimate certainty, is forti- 
fied against many of .the adverse contingencies of 
his business. The man who maintains a conviction 
of success has more than half achieved it; whereas, 
he who fears failure is defeated ere he faces the 

10 



issue. The mental attitude is the controlling factor 
in the matter. The salesman must be confident of 
himself before he can influence others, and nothing- 
will beget this feeling more surely than honesty of 
purpose, consciousness of ability and conviction of 
the worth of the thing he has to sell. 

Of all the shortcomings of salesmen, lack of Con- 
fidence, as exhibited in timidity, is probably the 
most common. It is a characteristic of by far the 
majority of novices, and not a few abandon sales- 
manship prematurely under the impression that 
their diffidence in the presence of strangers pre- 
cludes the possibility of success in the calling. This 
is so far from the truth that it may be said that 
timidity is among the defects which it is compara- 
tively easy to overcome. 

Deficiency in one or more of the seven essentials 
does not constitute a bar to ultimate success in vo- 
cational salesmanship. "Without exception, the qual- 
ities in question may be developed. Hopeless in- 
eptitude is the least common cause of failure. Many 
a man has abandoned salesmanship in the belief 
that he was ' i not cut out for it, ' ' when, as a matter 
of fact, all he needed was development of latent 
faculties and organization of himself. 

When a man declares that he is utterly unfit to 
be a salesman, he admits, inferentially at least, that 
he is unfit for the struggle of life. Salesmanship is 
an essential element of success in all lines of busi- 
ness and in all professions. Every man in active 
life is offering something for sale, — material, knowl- 
edge or service. One must be some sort of a sales- 
man to earn a living at all. If one is unable to make 
a success in any branch of vocational salesmanship, 

11 



it is questionable whether he would do much better 
in another calling. 

The essential qualifications for success in sales- 
manship are those which are necessary to success in 
any vocation. 

By way of testing the truth of the foregoing 
statement, apply it to a variety of callings, — the 
merchant, the lawyer, the manufacturer, the civil 
engineer, the teacher. Our seven essential qualities 
are necessary to success in each and all of these 
activities. 



12 



CHAPTER 3. 

PERSONALITY. 

No considerable degree of success can be attained 
in our business without technical knowledge, expert 
skill and an attractive Personality. The agent who 
would advance beyond mediocrity must possess 
these essentials. No other qualities, conditions or 
advantages will compensate for the lack of them. 
It is a common belief that knowledge of Life Insur- 
ance and ability in salesmanship are sufficient to 
insure success. As a matter of fact, Personality is 
an equally important factor in the matter. 

The success of a sales effort is not dependent 
solely upon the merit of the thing offered and the 
skill of the salesman. Almost invariably, something 
else enters into the transaction. It is a subtle in- 
fluence which emanates from the seller as a man and 
excites a disposition on the part of the prospective 
purchaser to deal with him. This indefinable power 
of attraction is called magnetism. It roots in Per- 
sonality and furnishes an equation in the process 
of a sale which is rarely appreciated at its full 
value. Nevertheless, illustrations of its operation 
are frequently presented to us. "We all know Life 
Insurance agents who do a substantial business al- 
most entirely by reason of their Personality. 

Some men are naturally magnetic. They possess 
innate traits which form pleasing and influential 
Personality. But, it is within the power of any man 
to acquire magnetism by the cultivation of certain 

13 



qualities. I am acquainted with an agent who was 
an average producer when he set about the cultiva- 
tion of magnetism. The result was marvelous. 
Things began coming his way until it seemed that 
the whole world was in league to help him. His 
business increased by leaps and bounds. He ob- 
tained it without half the former difficulty, too. 

Sales-man is a compound of which MAN is the 
more important element. In order to develop an 
efficient salesman we must have an efficient man 
as a basis. This being an essential condition, the 
production of it is logically the first step in your 
task of self-education. Defective Personality must 
impair, if it does not actually nullify, the effect of 
technical knowledge and skill. This truth has been 
overlooked or slighted in the formulation of most 
systems for the education of salesmen. Failure to 
recognize it is the cause of great wastage in every 
branch of business. 

It frequently happens that a man apparently pos- 
sesses all the qualifications of a salesman, but fails 
to achieve practical success. Intelligent investiga- 
tion will reveal, in nearly all such cases, that the 
source of the difficulty is personal inefficiency, — 
some defect or weakness in the man which reacts 
upon the salesman, as it must inevitably. So that 
your primary concern should be Personality; that 
is to say, the sum. of the traits — physical, mental 
and spiritual, — which go to make up the character 
of the individual. 

Have you ever made a self-analysis, — ever taken 
the time and trouble to examine yourself with a 
view to ascertaining your strong and weak points, 
your special talents and deficiencies, your inherent 

14 



traits and your acquired habits? No knowledge can 
possibly be of more value to you than this. Your 
chief task in life is to boss yourself. You can't do 
it to advantage without knowing yourself. On the 
other hand, when you have gained a thorough 
knowledge of yourself, you will be able to turn 
your useful qualities to full account. You will real- 
ize where you need improvement. In short, you will 
have a definite idea of the kind of man you have to 
deal with in yourself. 

Ideal Personality manifests in efficiency. The 
man of strong character is the man of great achieve- 
ment. And, the efficient man is necessarily mag- 
netic. So that our ultimate goal must be the real- 
ization, of personal efficiency, which is simply right 
thinking, right being and right doing. Or, to put it 
in another way, mental, physical and functional 
efficiency. 

Mental efficiency is the basis of all successful ac- 
complishment. Unless you think success, you can- 
not realize success. Every action originates in the 
mind. Right thinking must precede right doing. 
And, it is equally true that wrong thinking will 
surely be followed by corresponding conditions. 
Failures, losses, mistakes, and what we call "bad 
luck," are the natural consequences of negative and 
destructive thought. Even physical health is largely 
dependent upon state of mind. 

We all know the important part that mental con- 
dition plays in our business. "What we call "feeling 
right" is ninety per cent thinking right. There are 
days when the brain is clear and active, whilst the 
heart is full of courage and confidence. At such 
times we do our best work. It would be worth a 

15 



great deal to us to have our minds always keyed to 
concert pitch. Our production would treble, at 
least, in consequence. Now, we may enjoy this de- 
sirable state by making mental efficiency habitual 
with us. But, this can only be done by cultivating 
right thinking at all times. Many of us make an 
effort to get into the right mental attitude for busi- 
ness, but neglect the matter altogether in our leisure 
hours. 

Now, examine yourself in this respect. Find out 
what you need to bring your mind into a state of 
efficiency. It may be cheerfulness, poise, optimism, 
concentration, or some other qualities. Whatever 
the lack, make a point of remedying it. Don't be- 
grudge any amount of trouble in the effort. Mental 
efficiency is worth any price that you may pay to 
secure it. Once acquire the habit of right thinking 
and you will possess the key to all success. 

It is not practicable to give you specific advice 
or directions in the matter of cultivating ideal Per- 
sonality. The conditions and problems in one case 
are entirely different from those in another. Each 
man must discover his own needs and decide on the 
best way of meeting them. There is one common 
starting point, however, — that is self-analysis. You 
must make a thorough examination of yourself. In 
the process of doing so, you cannot fail to gain the 
knowledge which will guide you to effective self- 
development. 

The growth and control of ideal Personality, in 
order to be realized, must be earnestly and con- 
stantly desired and willed. By habitually visualiz- 
ing the Personality you wish to develop, you will 
impress the subconscious mind with the image, and 

16 



it will perforin the task of creation. This is the 
most effective method of auto-suggestion, — a visual- 
ized ideal, born of strong desire. 

The ideal Personality impresses in three distinct 
ways: 1. Through the medium of your physical 
attributes; 2. Through the medium of your mental 
attributes; 3. Through the medium of your delib- 
erate effort. Good health and attractive appearance 
are physical qualities that create favorable impres- 
sion. . The mental qualities which impress others 
are those that constitute the chief elements of ideal 
Personality, — will-power, self-confidence, earnest- 
ness, honesty and the rest. Impression is con- 
sciously created by the exercise of tact, by display 
of interest, by cordial speech, and so on. 

Physical Attributes. 

The physical attributes of the salesman are im- 
portant, but not nearly so much so as the mental at- 
tributes. Salesmen have been highly successful 
despite serious physical defects, but it is impossible 
to make a success of salesmanship without an ade- 
quate mental equipment. This, because a sale is 
essentially a mental process and because the sales- 
man is the product of his mind. 

Health. Robust health is the basis of mental and 
physical efficiency. It is one of the chief elements 
of the magnetic Personality which is almost essen- 
tial to success in salesmanship. The source of all 
energy is sound physical and mental health. "We 
have defined efficiency as " right thinking, right 
being and right doing." The second of these ele- 
ments implies good health. You may readily under- 
stand how right thinking and right doing are af- 

17 



fected by right being. Health, good or bad, is 
largely the result of mental action, and always sus- 
ceptible of mental control to a great extent. 

Dress. Our ideas are necessarily founded on sense 
impressions. These are seldom tested or subjected 
to the reasoning process. As a consequence they 
are often faulty. We are in the habit of accepting 
the usual indication of a condition as invariable evi- 
dence of its existence. The man who drives a Rolls- 
Royce is credited with wealth. We unconsciously 
attribute great strength to the physical giant. And 
the well-dressed man arouses in our minds the as- 
sociated idea of prosperity. 

Well made clothing, of good material, conveys 
the impression of success. And, as a matter of sen- 
timent, no less than one of policy, business men are 
prone to deal with successful salesmen. Another 
practical consideration is the mental effect on the 
salesman of being well dressed. The matter has 
also an ethical aspect which should not be ignored. 
There is a moral obligation upon us to dress in a 
manner pleasing to others or, at least, in such a 
manner as to avoid offending their sensibilities. 

By "well dressed," we mean being clad in taste- 
ful and becoming clothing of good quality. The 
ideal condition is that which leaves the impression 
of a man being well dressed, without the memory of 
any detail of his apparel. A garish necktie or a 
loud waistcoat will have the double disadvantage 
of creating a prejudice against the salesman and of 
distracting the prospect's attention from the sales 
talk. Pronounced mannerisms and objectionable 
habits have the same effect. 

18 



Deportment. The carriage and demeanor of the 
salesman should reflect his Personality. His bear- 
ing should be indicative of poise, self-respect and 
confidence. The first impressions are necessarily 
derived from physical characteristics. It is very 
important that these should be favorable. The im- 
pression created in the first few minutes of contact 
with a stranger often has a marked influence upon 
later relations. 

Geniality is a valuable asset to a man whose busi- 
ness hinges on the effective exercise of the art of 
persuasion. We find a selfish satisfaction in dealing 
with pleasant persons. The man with a winning 
smile will advance more quickly along the road of 
business success than another of greater talents, who 
is handicapped by a morose disposition. But, don't 
make the mistake of imagining that mere muscular 
action will serve the purpose. You can't pass coun- 
terfeit currency on men of experience. To be effect- 
ive, your smile and your hand clasp must be mani- 
festations of genuine cordiality. The necessary 
foundation of a genial manner is a sympathetic and 
friendly attitude toward your fellows. 



19 



CHAPTER 4. 
SCIENTIFIC SALESMANSHIP. 

Do you appreciate the great advantage you have 
over the Life Insurance agent of twenty-five years 
ago? In those days the beginner was handed a rate 
book and batch of application blanks, with the in- 
junction to "go to it." He was generally left to 
his own resources, to sink or swim as he might. 
About ninety per cent failed, and small wonder. 
The few men who made striking successes, under 
those trying conditions, were of the kind commonly 
described as "born salesmen." Peculiar adaptabil- 
ity, keen intuition and a ready knack of imitation 
enabled them to acquire expertness in comparatively 
short time. 

It is a frequent mistake to point to these exam- 
ples of self-made salesmen in refutation of the claim 
of necessity for scientific methods. Unconsciously 
and unsystematically, for the most part, the men 
in question conformed to the principles of scientific 
salesmanship. Certain practices were proved by 
test to be profitable, and adopted accordingly. Had 
these men understood the principles they employed, 
their processes would have been much more effec- 
tive. 

There are still a considerable number of the old 
school in our business who contend that experience 
is the only medium for acquiring skill in salesman- 
ship and that theoretical instruction is of little ac- 
count. There are a greater number of agents who, 

20 



through ignorance, indifference or indolence are 
neglecting to avail themselves of the advantages of 
scientific training. These men are making bricks 
without straw. Their efforts are more laborious 
than need be, and the results less profitable than 
might be. 

No one will dispute the fact that experience is 
the best practical school, but it is a very poor kin- 
dergarten. Experience is of value only in so far as 
its lessons may be understood and the knowledge 
gained from it applied effectively. This is impos- 
sible unless a background of sound theory exists. 
The absurdity of sending a novice out to learn the 
practice of medicine or electrical engineering from 
experience is apparent. It is no less unreasonable 
to seek efficiency in our business by the same process. 

It is better for the beginner to attach himself to 
an experienced agent than to attempt "to dig it out 
for himself.' ' But, this method of learning the 
business has serious disadvantages when the novice 
lacks sufficient theoretical knowledge to render him 
discriminating. He learns to lean upon another; 
his initiative is suppressed; he acquires the defects 
of his mentor ; and he forms the habit of unreason- 
ing imitation. 

Walter Dill Scott, in his book "Increasing Human 
Efficiency, " makes a striking comparison between 
the three methods of learning an art, — by sheer ex- 
perience, through apprenticeship and by scientific 
education. 

He tells that in a summer vacation he stayed at 
a country boarding house where an intricate Chi- 
nese block puzzle was one of the amusements of the 
guests. A bright lad spent eight hours in solving 

21 



the puzzle. He worked by the Haphazard Method, 
trying by blind experiment till he happened to get 
it right. The next attempt didn't take so long, but 
it was many days before he could solve the puzzle 
rapidly. 

As soon as this boy had learned to do the trick, 
another watched him several times and made fre- 
quent attempts to follow his example. He learned 
the solution in about two hours by thus observing 
and imitating the processes of the other. His was 
the Apprenticeship Method and his education was 
accomplished in one-fourth of the time required by 
the method of pure Experience. 

An expert mechanical engineer next tackled the 
puzzle. He figured out the principles that he 
thought might be involved, tried them and imme- 
diately discarded the methods that proved unsuc- 
cessful. He was able to solve the puzzle in half an 
hour. Later trials were all rapid and successful. 
He knew just how he had accomplished the task and 
so didn't have to take chances and experiment. His 
was the method of theoretical knowledge applied to 
practical experiment. 

The engineer volunteered to instruct Scott in the 
problem, making him take the blocks and try for 
himself but, as each difficulty arose, showing him 
how to overcome it. Here was a combination of 
theory and practice — the Scientific Method. As a 
result, Scott was enabled to solve the problem in 
fifteen minutes. Furthermore, he knew precisely 
how he had done it and could do it again readily 
and could apply the same principles to other puzzles. 

Do you see how this applies to our business? In 
the early days we had agents who were compelled 

22 



to "dig it out for themselves," like the boy who 
first solved the puzzle. The most persevering suc- 
ceeded, but it was at the expense of cruel labor and 
by battling with constant difficulties. At best, they 
were never sure of their processes and made serious 
mistakes. 

Then we had, and have yet, agents who depended 
upon the Apprenticeship Method, watching others 
and trying to imitate them. And, next we had men 
who -studied Life Insurance Salesmanship and fig- 
ured out the principles of successful operation. 

Now we have scientific theory as well as the ag- 
gregate experience of a host of successful agents 
presented to us in the best form for practical ap- 
plication. By availing ourselves of this fund of 
knowledge we may solve the puzzle in one-tenth of 
the time required to "dig it out" by blind expe- 
rience. The man who fails to avail himself of this 
facility for gaining efficiency in his business, proves 
himself to be deficient of the elementary quality 
of common-sense and unfit for any kind of success 
in life. 

By the study and practice of Scientific Salesman- 
ship, any man of ordinary ability may become a bet- 
ter than average Life Insurance agent in the course 
of a year. The first step is to gain an understand- 
ing of the theory. The next is to make practical 
application of it. In doing this, the student should 
take pains to profit by the experience that arises in 
the course of his work. This is sometimes neglected 
and seldom turned to the fullest account. Only the 
agent who thoughtfully reviews important can- 
vasses, seeking by analysis to discover the causes 
of effects, derives the utmost benefit from expe- 

23 



rience. He learns to avoid the repetition of mis- 
takes and he learns to make the factors of each 
success part of his permanent system of practice. 
Many men pursue their work, heedless of all but the 
most obvious experiences it affords. In their cases 
faults are committed without discovery and conse- 
quently repeated without suspicion of their bad 
effects. In like manner, an effective argument or 
proceeding is employed without a full appreciation 
of its value or of the principle that made it effec- 
tive, and so it becomes neglected and, perhaps, never 
again employed 



24 



CHAPTER 5. 

PURPOSE. 

Imagine a ship without a compass. It may have 
every other facility for navigation — high power 
engines, supplementary sails and the rest — and yet 
ply hither and thither about the seas for ever, like 
Vanderdecken's phantom craft, and never make 
port. Now and again it may derive some direction 
from the fixed stars, the rising sun, or a distant 
landfall, but what it gains in headway at such times 
will be lost in leeway at others, for lack of perma- 
nent guidance. 

A man without a Purpose is in the plight of a 
vessel without a compass. He may have the capacity 
for great achievement and accomplish nothing of 
consequence, because of scattered efforts, lacking 
definite direction. His fluctuating course will be 
marked by alternating stages of forward progress 
and drifting backward. He will have spurts of en- 
ergy and enthusiasm, only to be neutralized by 
spells of vacillation and stagnation. 

The most energetic efforts must prove more or 
less futile unless inspired by deliberate aim. On 
the other hand, the purposeful mind has a clearly 
conceived track for advance, from which it will al- 
low no deviation. Purpose is the rallying point 
around which it assembles all its faculties, then 
marches toward its goal with direct motion, under 
the impulse of determination and with the force of 
massed resources. 

25 



If you hope for any worth-while attainment in 
the future you must have a definite idea as to what 
you want to become, to perform or to possess. To 
work day by day merely for the sake of avoiding 
starvation or, perhaps, to gratify some petty tem- 
porary desires, is to live on a plane little higher 
than that of the oyster. Work under such circum- 
stances must be drudgery, at best, and it cannot 
produce much. 

Set up some big object — a Purpose or ideal great 
enough to fire your ambition. I can't suggest any- 
thing to you. "What one man would value, another 
might not care a rap for. But, there must be some- 
thing which you strongly desire. Make it your Pur- 
pose to obtain it. And, don't believe it to be be- 
yond your reach merely because you never have 
got it. Heretofore, you have been content with 
wishing. That will not carry you anywhere. But, 
just as soon as you form a determined Purpose to 
realize your desire, you will find yourself moving 
forward toward it- Your energy will be stimulated. 
Your faculties will be sharpened. Your work will 
become more effective. 

If I should ask you what you are working for, 
you might say "for money." That would be a poor 
answer. Money is a means, not an end. It is worth 
striving for only in so far as it will secure to you 
something of value. I know a man who works for 
money just to spend. And, whenever he earns a 
big commission he lets up. You can see how that 
would be. I know another man who works for 
money to buy a home. And the more money he 
earns, the nearer he approaches to his object and 
the greater become his efforts. 



You see, one man has no goal and he has no in- 
centive. The other is after something that he de- 
sires strongly. He knows exactly what it is. He 
has made up his mind as to the best way to get it. 
He works on system and always has a certain aim 
in view. He has something to spur him on, and 
whenever he feels blue or lazy his cherished object 
looms up and puts new life into him. 

Money will secure most of the things we desire 
and help to secure those that cannot be bought. 
Consequently the earning of commissions will be a 
means to the attainment of practically any object 
you have in view. And, just as soon as you have a 
definite Purpose, that fact in itself will increase 
your earning power. It can't fail to do so. A strong 
incentive must make you strive harder and improve 
the quality of your efforts. 

Now, here is something that I will not pretend 
to explain, but my observation — and yours too, 
probably — furnishes plenty of evidence of its truth. 
Whenever a man concentrates all his will and en- 
ergy on doing a particular thing, forces outside of 
himself and his influence come to his aid in a mys- 
terious manner. "Things come his way," as we 
commonly put it, and the longer he persists, the 
more marked becomes this peculiar condition. We 
generally attribute it luck or chance, but it can't 
be that, because it is a universal experience of the 
purposeful man. 

Take my word for it, the possession of a Purpose 
will make your work less difficult and more pro- 
ductive. You will appreciate the benefit of it almost 
at once. Perhaps, it may be advisable to start with 
something comparatively easy of attainment. When 

27 



you have achieved your first Purpose you should 
set up another, a little more difficult of realization, 
and so let your ambition expand by degrees. Before 
long you will find yourself confidently aiming at big 
things — and getting them. 

One of the chief factors of success in any effort is 
a clearly defined goal and a clearly defined plan 
for reaching it. Under such conditions, the chance 
of substantial accomplishment is very much greater 
than when you try for general results. Lacking an 
objective, you may work hard and effect little. The 
trouble is that your energies are not well directed. 
Your engine is running at top speed, but your steer- 
ing gear is not functioning. 

The principle applies to all your processes. Set 
yourself a certain number of daily calls, and the 
result will be increased industry. Adopt a quota, 
and you will write more business. Approach your 
interviews with design to accomplish specific pur- 
poses and you will get better results. Form a habit 
of knowing just what you are aiming at in every 
endeavor. Make it apply to details, no less than to 
main issues. 



28 



CHAPTER 6. 
INTEREST. 

It is absolutely impossible to do good work when 
you have a distaste for it. Not only that, but the 
effort involved is much greater than it would be if 
you enjoyed your work. You might as well be dig- 
ging ditches as to be engaged in an uncongenial 
vocation. Now, it doesn't follow that, because a 
man has no liking for his business, he never will 
have. It may be possible to completely change his 
attitude, and sometimes that can be done with little 
difficulty. Perhaps, the only trouble is lack of suc- 
cess, It isn't in reason that a man should find pleas- 
ure in work that doesn't yield satisfactory returns. 
In a case of that sort the best thing is to strive for 
the increase of efficiency which will bring results, 
and trust to a liking for your business to follow, 
as it will in all probability. 

Most often a man's dislike for his calling is due 
to a lack of interest in it. In all likelihood, he has 
never made an effort to interest himself. He has 
not unreservedly adopted Life Insurance Salesman- 
ship as his permanent vocation. He has made no 
serious study of it. He has not systematically en- 
gaged in improving himself as a Life Insurance 
salesman. Just as soon as a man reverses himself 
on these points, his work begins to be effective, and 
in time he learns to like it. Then — and not till 
then — can he put the best of himself into his busi- 
ness and get the utmost results of which he is capa- 
ble. 

29 



About three years ago I had to diagnose a case of 
failure. Apparently the patient possessed every 
qualification for great success. But, after six months 
of really hard work, he had not earned enough com- 
missions to cover his living expenses. And yet he 
had previously made good in two rather difficult 
lines of salesmanship. 

The mystery wasn't hard to solve. There was 
just one thing wrong. But, that one thing was 
enough to nullify a score of good qualities. The 
man was not interested in his business, except as a 
means of making money. He had no conception of 
the dignity and beneficence of his work. To study 
the science of his calling had not seemed worth 
while. 

To begin with, he was induced to read the history 
of Life Insurance and to learn something of its 
effects on society and industrial affairs. This gave 
him a realization of the grandeur of the Institution 
and an appreciation of his part in supporting it. He 
next mastered the principles of Life Insurance and, 
with the knowledge, his work became both interest- 
ing and effective. At the end of six months, this 
man was finding positive enjoyment in work that 
had formerly been drudgery. And, two years ago 
he paid for nearly half a million of first class busi- 
ness. 

It happens much less frequently than formerly 
that a man treats Life Insurance Salesmanship as a 
makeshift and a temporary convenience. There are 
such cases, however, even now-a-days. They don't 
get anywhere, of course. They can't expect to and 
they don't deserve to. Unless you are proud of 
your profession, unless you love your work, unless 

30 



you are posted on the technicalities of your busi- 
ness, — you may not hope for success. 

The Life Insurance vocation is higher than most 
others. It ranks with Medicine and the Ministry, 
on account of its beneficent effects. The Life Insur- 
ance salesman has an incentive beyond that of the 
ordinary business man. He is stimulated and en- 
couraged by the thought that every policy he places 
makes for the social and economic betterment of his 
community and has in it boundless possibilities of 
good for the beneficiary. The more you dwell upon 
this idea and expand it, the greater will become your 
Interest in your business. 

I have said that Interest is essential to good work. 
Let me explain what I mean. The mere fact of be- 
ing interested in a thing tends to sharpen the facul- 
ties applied to it, such as concentration, memory and 
perception. And this takes place automatically un- 
der the stimulus of Interest. "When you read a 
novel or see a play, why does the story make a 
strong impression and stick in your memory? Be- 
cause you are interested. If you should read a re- 
port on the potato crop or see a funeral procession, 
these things would not have the same effect upon 
you, — simply because you would not be interested. 

Nothing will infuse Interest into your business 
so surely and maintain it so steadily as a purpose 
which is to be realized through the medium of your 
business. Much the same effect upon your mind 
may be secured by linking your business up with 
other interests. For example, you are desirous of 
acquiring knowledge of human nature. What bet- 
ter field for study could you have than that afforded 
by your interviews. Your health is a matter of 

31 



some concern to you. Your work in the open air 
must be beneficial in this respect. You are wishful 
of developing a strong character. Every hour that 
you devote intelligently to salesmanship must be a 
help in that direction. By keeping in mind the 
score or more of minor advantages involved in your 
work, you must enhance Interest in your business. 

"VVe all love play and readily become interested in 
a game. On that fact you may base numerous 
schemes for stimulating Interest, by putting the 
spirit of the game and the excitement of contest into 
your work. You may match yourself against some 
other man in the agency on a month's production. 
You may strive this week to beat the results of last. 
You may undertake to do more business in the next 
ninety days than you ever did before. Or to write 
at least one application every week for twenty con- 
secutive weeks. 

The difficulty which is so frequently experienced 
by Life Insurance agents in sustaining Interest may 
be attributed largely to the comparatively long in- 
tervals between applications. One of the best book 
agents in the country tried to sell Life Insurance 
but was compelled to return to his former occupa- 
tion on that account. An agent of my acquaintance 
has a simple but effective method of overcoming the 
difficulty. He has laid down a hard and fast rule 
that every day he must accomplish something that 
will substantially promote his business interests. If 
he can't close a case, he will endeavor to develop a 
good prospect, get some letters of introduction or 
obtain valuable data as to a case. At the end of 
the day he jots down in a desk diary the results 
realized and never closes the day until he has some- 

32 



thing to record. Perhaps, the chief advantage of 
this plan lies in the Interest which is kept alive by 
the concrete evidence that he is making some ad- 
vance each day. 

In conclusion, let me warn you to be on your 
guard against waning Interest. See that you keep 
it constantly fresh and keen. If you find your work 
becoming irksome, take measures to stimulate your 
Interest. Turn your thoughts upon your main pur- 
pose. Visualize it. Imagine yourself realizing it. 
Make a wager with your manager on your next 
week's production. Frame up a contest with one 
of your fellow-agents for a substantial stake. Do 
something of the sort to revive your Interest before 
you become really stale or discouraged. 



33 



CHAPTER 7. 
SYSTEM. 

Did you ever see a loose hose threshing about 
and throwing water here, there and everywhere, but 
where it will do the most good? "What a change 
takes place when a directing hand takes hold of the 
nozzle and guides the stream to the exact spots 
where it is needed. We all know men who work 
like the loose hose, rushing hither and thither, — 
always busy and yet accomplishing next to nothing. 
They Lack System. On the other hand, we know 
men who work with steady composure. They are 
never behind, never hurried. Their efforts are ex- 
erted so smoothly that it almost looks as though 
they take things easy. But, they get big results, 
somehow. That is because their work is thoroughly 
systematized. 

System implies order, method, rule and arrange- 
ment. It requires coordination of mental and phys- 
ical functions. In order to have an effective System 
and to operate it successfully, two principal things 
are necessary : 1. A clear idea of a definite purpose. 
2. A well-defined plan of action. In other words, a 
practical System puts a man in a position to know 
where he is going, what he is after and how he is to 
get it. 

System is to success what the works are to a 
watch. Each part is useful, — perhaps essential, — 
but the effect is produced by the co-ordination and 
co-operation of the individual pieces. So with one 

34 



of us. He may be possessed of intelligence, energy, 
experience, foresight and other desirable qualities, 
and yet be a failure as a practical salesman. To 
secure efficiency from the various factors at his com- 
mand he must bring them into harmonious and eco- 
nomical working order. A full head of steam in a 
locomotive boiler is of no avail without a hand at 
the throttle. 

It is not sufficient to know what you intend to do. 
You must also know precisely how you are going to 
do it. Your plan of action will necessarily be lim- 
ited by the resources available. The important 
thing is to turn those resources to the utmost ac- 
count. It is here that System plays its part. It 
enables you to avoid waste effort and to employ 
your energies in the most profitable direction. It 
makes possible a constant and intelligent control of 
your operations. It keeps you moving steadily and 
surely toward your goal. 

Now, the man who is addicted to haphazard 
processes will find it difficult to adopt methodical 
practices. This, like most other desirable condi- 
tions, is only to be attained by serious and patient 
effort. But, the results will fully compensate for 
any pains that may be involved in securing them. 
Once acquire the habit of systematic work, and your 
labors will be immeasurably lightened, whilst their 
effects will be greatly increased. 

A System should not be complex nor cumbersome. 
You occasionally come across a man who has sys- 
tematized himself until he creaks as he works. In 
such a case, the System is running the man, — he is 
a slave to it. The best Systems employed by Life 
Insurance salesmen are of the ball-bearing, simplex 

35 



action description. Take Mr. Rosen's, for example. 
It is simplicity itself. But, just think of the amount 
of work he does under it and the results he gets. 

In formulating a System for your own use, it is 
not advisable to copy that of someone else. No two 
salesmen work in just the same way. Each should 
regulate his methods according to his individual 
condition and qualities. There are, however, certain 
essentials, with regard to which I can give you a 
few hints. 

You must have your production scheduled for the 
year, the month and, I would advise, for the week. 
After careful consideration, you should determine 
the class of prospects upon whom you are going to 
work. In making this decision, calculate where your 
personal qualities, special knowledge and other ad- 
vantages may be made most effective. Your former 
occupation should not be overlooked in considering 
this matter. 

Time is your capital. Every hour has an average 
equivalent in money. And, like money, time will 
slip away unprofitably, unless you keep close watch 
on it. You must set apart definite hours for work 
and see that they are consumed in working. You 
will find the Record Card the most effective device 
for this purpose. It will indicate the time you put 
in at actual work, the manner in which it is em- 
ployed and the results obtained. 

Efficient Time Consumption is an absolute essen- 
tial to every effective System. Among no class of 
salesmen is time wasted so prodigally as among those 
in our business. The Life Insurance agent is his own 
boss. He is usually compensated for his work by 
commission. He feels that he has a right to do what 

36 



he pleases with his time. He can loaf or take a holi- 
day with fewer qualms of conscience than if he were 
employed on salary. The character of his work is 
also conducive to carelessness in the matter of time 
consumption. He has neither fixed route nor regu- 
lar customers. The indefinite nature of his daily 
occupation tends to the creation of a lax mental atti- 
tude toward business time. The tasks which he sets 
out to perform are subject to all sorts of uncertain 
and unfavorable developments, so that it is well- 
nigh impossible for him to complete a day's work in 
accordance with schedule. 

Whilst these conditions make it more than ordi- 
narily easy for the Life Insurance agent to waste 
time, they do not afford excuses for his doing so. 
They merely emphasize the necessity of his taking 
exceptional measures to guard against the waste of 
time. Perhaps, the greatest incentive to proper reg- 
ulation of time consumption will be derived from 
the establishment of a standard of value for the 
hour. If you know how many hours you spent in 
actual work during three months — figures for a 
shorter period are apt to be unreliable — you may 
determine the average value of an hour by dividing 
the amount earned by the hours consumed. Divid- 
ing the same sum into the number of interviews or 
calls will give you another desirable standard of 
valuation. Having arrived at these, keep them con- 
stantly in mind, so that you will not be able to 
waste an hour without the consciousness that you 
are throwing away so many dollars and cents. 

Any agent who is not using the calendar card 
system should instal it. It is the easiest and surest 
way of keeping track of your business. It enables 

37 



you literally to put your hand on each and all your 
prospects in a moment. If properly kept, this sys- 
tem makes it impossible to overlook an engagement. 
The entire equipment can be obtained from any 
stationer at small cost. It consists of a box con- 
taining a set of guide cards for the months of the 
year and another for the days of the month, to- 
gether with a supply of prospect cards. 

At the close of the day's work, the cards which 
have been used should be distributed in the file ac- 
cording to the dates of the current month, when 
the next calls are to be made, or placed under future 
months. Thus, each will come up without further 
thought at the proper time. An important part of 
this system is reviewing on the preceding evening 
the cards for the following day and preparing by 
thought and calculation for the ensuing interviews. 
A half hour spent in this manner each day before 
going home will produce substantial results. 

You must reduce your canvassing processes to 
system. There is a best way of performing every 
detail of your work, a best way of approach, a best 
way of presenting the proposition, a best way of 
closing, a best way of making settlement. Your 
best way may not be mine. Find out by thoughtful 
test what is the best way for yourself and systemat- 
ically employ it. 

The value of a System depends upon its observ- 
ance. There is the widest difference between a 
theoretical System and a practical System. Found 
your System on mature and intelligent considera- 
tion. Then practice it. 



38 



RECORD CARD 

Record of work done by : 


Week ending 19 


FILL 
OUT 
DAILY 


o 
o . 

x< 


"0 

1 

is 

o . 

oca. 


3 

■a* 




■u 

0. co 


V 


Duco 




c 
6 S 

da 


MONDAY 




















TUESDAY 




















WEDNESDAY 




















THURSDAY 




















FRIDAY 




















SATURDAY 




















TOTALS 




















AVERAGE 
PER DAY 




















Duplicate deposited with Manager 19 



CHAPTER 8. 
KNOWLEDGE OF THE GOODS. 

At one time the idea prevailed that a Life Insur- 
ance salesman didn't need to have any but the most 
elementary technical knowledge. It was believed 
to be sufficient if he was master of a few selling 
tricks — "knacks" they were called — and a stock of 
arguments. That idea is thoroughly exploded. We 
have learned from experience that the agent can- 
not know too much about his business, provided he 
uses his knowledge with judgment, telling his pros- 
pect just as much as is necessary to explain the 
proposition and get the application, — but no more. 

If an expert automobile salesman is trying to 
sell you, he sets forth the service that the car will 
give and points out the parts that furnish it. He 
knows a whole lot more about the machine. And, 
if you express a wish to use it for unusual work or 
under unusual conditions, he will explain features 
of it to which he would not refer in the ordinary 
sales talk. So it should be with you. Learn all you 
can about your business. Post yourself so that you 
will be equal to any case that you may encounter, 
and so that you can answer any question that may 
arise in a canvass. But, use your knowledge as you 
do your money. Give just as much of it as is neces- 
sary to obtain what you want. 

"Knowledge of the Goods" embraces knowledge 
of everything directly related to Life Insurance. 
It includes familiarity with the history of the Insti- 

40 



tution, with the methods and conditions of compa- 
nies in general, with the home office practices of 
your own company, in so far as they concern field 
operation and relations to policyholders. But, above 
all, "Knowledge of the Goods" means a thorough 
understanding of the policy contracts that you are 
offering for sale. 

Some agents spend a great deal too much time 
studying the contracts of other companies. They 
know more about a competitor's policies than they 
do about those of their own company. With the 
slightest provocation they will unload this informa- 
tion on a prospect who is, perhaps, not the least bit 
interested in it. These are the agents who con- 
stantly create competition for themselves. It is 
among this class that we find the men who think 
that they could do twice as much business if they 
were carrying the rate book of this, that or the other 
company. It is not necessary to make a special 
effort ^o know the policies of rival companies. Many 
of the most successful men in our business don't 
trouble themselves about the matter. They depend 
upon creating desire for their own goods to over- 
come competition. In the ordinary course of your 
work you are bound to learn more or less about 
other companies' contracts. For example, you are 
in serious competition with the !Blank Mutual 's 
Twenty-pay Life. Time enough then to look it up 
and ascertain its peculiar features. Gained in that 
way, the information is likely to stick and to be 
available the next time you need it. 

All the time that you can spare for the study of 
policies had better be applied to the goods that you 
are selling. Nothing will improve your practical 

41 



ability so much as an analytical knowledge of the 
contracts contained in your rate book. Don't be 
satisfied with the superficial features that meet your 
eye at first glance. Dig into their anatomy. Dis- 
cover every function of which they are capable. 
Learn all that they will do for the policyholder, how 
they will do it, when they will do it, why they will 
do it. Study your policy as a surgeon studies a 
skeleton or a biologist a bit of cadaver. 

Very few of us know our rate book. In fact, we 
do not suspect what a mine of information lies be- 
tween the covers. I use the word "mine" to sig- 
nify that you must dig. The riches of the rate book 
are not on the surface. Take the table of any policy 
at a certain age. It doesn't present to the eye any 
more than a bald array of rather commonplace fig- 
ures. But, these may be made the basis of endless 
interesting calculations. Browsing in a rate book 
with pencil and scribbling pad is a fascinating occu- 
pation. It consumes time, however, and the prac- 
tice could not be recommended if it were anything 
but useful. As a matter of fact, it will supply you 
with just the material needed to put point and in- 
terest into your policy presentation. It will furnish 
you with cold mathematical demonstrations which 
are as effective, in their proper place, as abstract 
and sentimental arguments. The agent who knows 
his rate book is enabled to support his proposition 
with unanswerable logic. He is prepared to prove 
his own statements and to refute the fallacies ad- 
vanced by the prospect. 

Let me give you a concrete illustration of what I 
mean by "analyzing a policy." Take the Twenty- 
payment Life, age 30, and examine it thoroughly. 

42 



How is it constructed ? What is the special purpose 
of the reserve? How will the reserve act if the 
policyholder should convert to Fifteen-year Endow- 
ment after paying five premiums ? What is the per- 
centage of the premium to the face of the policy? 
What are the percentages in various years of the 
cash values to net aggregate deposits? What are 
net costs per year at end of certain extended-insur- 
ance periods? What is the proportion of paid-up 
insurance to net outlay at the end of the premium 
paying period? What annuity will the twentieth 
year cash value purchase, and how much will the 
policyholder draw if he should outlive his expec- 
tancy ? 

The calculations are endless and you can't fail to 
find them interesting. Dissecting a policy in this 
manner will give you a fuller appreciation of its 
value and enable you to make a clearer presenta- 
tion of it. At the same time it will give you a better 
understanding of the contract conditions. It is the 
most practical kind of investigation you can engage 
in. When you have made a few of these examina- 
tions, go on to comparative analysis. Compare the 
Twenty-pay Life with the Thir.ty-year Endowment, 
and so on. This is the way to get a real and service- 
able "Knowledge of the Goods,' ' — such a knowledge 
as will make you an expert salesman. It will give 
you confidence in your ability to present a policy in 
the most attractive manner and to answer any ques- 
tions about it that may be put to you. Spend an 
hour of an evening now and again at this work and 
see how it will improve your selling ability in the 
course of a few months. 

43 



Your rate book will yield thousands of calcula- 
tions which may be used with practical effect in 
your work. The Expectation, Mortality, Survivor- 
ship, Interest and Discount Tables should not be 
overlooked in this connection. It is safe to say that 
you cannot know too much about the contents of 
your rate book. But, it is possible to misuse your 
knowledge. Figures and mathematical calculations 
are distasteful to the average man. He is interested 
in them only when they have a personal application. 
No matter how clever or wonderful they may ap- 
pear to you, your prospect will not appreciate them 
unless they have direct reference to his case. 



44 



CHAPTER 9. 

HARD AND STEADY WORK. 

Life Insurance Salesmanship is not an easy busi- 
ness. There is no easy business nowadays. Or, at 
least, none that is profitable. If there was a business 
in which money could be made without hard work of 
one kind or another, everyone would be crowding into 
it. 

It matters not what are your qualifications, how 
great your talents, nor how extensive your social con- 
nections, — you will not make a permanent success of 
your business without Hard and Steady Work. That 
statement is one hundred per cent true. You may as 
well make up your mind that if you are going to fol- 
low Life Insurance Salesmanship as a calling, the 
sooner* you acquire a habit of Hard and Steady Work, 
the sooner will you be on the highroad to success. 

The largest writers are the hardest workers. They 
don't exert themselves physically as much as the men 
who write small cases and so have to see a number of 
persons every day, but they are constantly thinking, 
planning and preparing for interviews. Many of 
the big producers apply themselves closely to their 
business for ten hours a day. 

Few Life Insurance agents — even among those who 
pay for considerable amounts annually — are consist- 
ent producers. Charted in curves, the average man's 
business looks like a seismograph record. It may 
reach the peak three months in the year and stand at 
zero three other months. 

45 



Your business is bound to be more or less fluctuat- 
ing, — that is only natural. But, if you write 
$40,000 in February and $25,000 in April, there can 
hardly be a good excuse for your doing little or noth- 
ing in March and May. If a man employed by you did 
such uneven work, you wouldn't stand for it and as 
your own boss you shouldn't allow it to happen. 

Why shouldn't you act as a business man and treat 
your vocation as the ordinary business man does his? 
If you were a dry-goods dealer or a .shoe manufac- 
turer, you'd keep regular hours and you wouldn't 
let this, that and the other trivial occurrence inter- 
fere with your work. As a Life Insurance salesman, 
why should you do otherwise ? 

Organize and regulate yourself. At nine o'clock 
be ready to go right to work with a clear idea of what 
you intend to do during the day. This is to be ef- 
fected by laying out the day's work on the previous 
evening, between five and six, or coming down to the 
office before nine for the purpose. The former is the 
better method. It is a good plan to set yourself more 
work for the day than you are likely to be able to 
accomplish. 

You will find it stimulating to impose certain tasks 
upon yourself, — a minimum amount of insurance to 
be written each month or week. Some agents make a 
practice of calling on ten or twelve persons a day. 
Even a beginner could not do that for sixty days 
without writing a substantial business. An agent in 
New York City, who has paid for more than $500,000 
a year since 1906, sends out ten form letters every 
night and calls on as many addressees every day. He 
admits that the chief value of his system is in the fact 
that it keeps him steadily at work. 

46 



The truth of the matter is, of course, that the ma- 
jority of agents do not apply themselves steadily to 
work. They begin the year well enough, perhaps, but 
after a while allow enthusiasm to wane and energy 
to slacken. They go stale on the job and lazy along 
for a few weeks. Then, by a more or less painful 
effort, they wind themselves up again and run for 
another spell. And, so it goes, work alternating with 
loafing. 

There is only one remedy for that sort of thing. It 
is the obvious one of cutting out the wastage and keep- 
ing production going steadily. How shall you do it? 
By setting yourself a weekly quota and laboring hon- 
estly to make it. At the same time you must watch 
yourself closely for signs of an impending slump. 
With the first indication of slackening, take measures 
to refresh your interest. Spend an occasional ten min- 
utes in reviewing the advantages of success. Stimu- 
late yourself by auto-suggestion. Frame a thirty-day 
contest with a fellow-agent. Make a wager with your 
manager. 

Don't fool yourself. It is the easiest thing in the 
world to do and the silliest. If you want an excuse 
to loaf, it will never be difficult to find one. You are 
so tired, for instance, that you couldn't do justice to 
yourself. That may be a good reason for not enter- 
ing upon an important interview, but there are other 
ways in which you can employ your time usefully. 

In starting to form a habit of Hard and Steady 
Work, I will suggest that you go by easy stages 
For example, make a resolution now to work seven 
full hours on a fixed plan every day of next week. 
Just one week, — but an absolutely honest one, with no 
compromise, no abatement of your determination. On 

47 



Saturday night you can determine whether or not you 
wish to try it for another week. But, after you have 
realized the profit and pleasure of doing a man's job 
in a manly way, — after you have experienced the 
satisfaction and self-respect of going home every eve- 
ning with the consciousness of having performed a full 
day's duty, — you'll want to keep right at it. 

Strangely enough, success is a common cause of 
breaks in production. Many agents let up when they 
have done a good strike of business and lose the mo- 
mentum which they should gain from it. Immediately 
after closing a case you are in the best condition for 
closing another. That is the time to pick out your 
most difficult prospect and turn your new-found en- 
thusiasm and strength on him. But, sit around the 
office for a couple of days, or lay off for a holiday, 
and reaction is bound to occur. 

Steady work doesn't mean everlasting work. It is 
sometimes said that, in order to be successful, the 
agent must completely live in his business, " think of 
it waking and sleeping, eat it and drink it," — I am 
quoting from a recently published article. Now, this 
is the veriest nonsense. The laws of efficiency are no 
different in their application to Life Insurance Sales- 
manship than to other lines of business. If the agent 
will work hard daily and allow himself the same ex- 
tent of leisure and recreation that the ordinary busi- 
ness man enjoys, he will get better results than if he 
should stick to the grind from sunrise to bedtime. 
Seven hours a day of good honest work will insure 
success, — provided a day's work of that kind is per- 
sisted in. Steady effort will surely bring steady re- 
sults. 



48 



CHAPTER 10. 
PROSPECTS. 

It is possible to put too much emphasis on what 
we call ' ' hard work. ' ' Quality is quite as important 
as quantity in our effort. This principle applies to 
all kinds of labor, from digging a ditch to directing 
a bank. Let us consider its relation to the task of 
creating Prospects, one of the most important phases 
of our work. Very few of us make deliberate se- 
lection of Prospects. We get them in a more or 
less haphazard way. And, seventy-five per cent of 
them are not Prospects, — just names we have picked 
up here and there. 

We might save a great deal of time and trouble 
by using a little discrimination and judgment in this 
respect. In the first place, let us avoid the common 
fault of scattering our efforts. Distance seems to 
lend enchantment to the view of the Life Insurance 
agent. With a live Prospect at his elbow, he will 
go ten miles to see a man about whom he knows 
nothing but his name. The smaller the circle in 
which you work, the more effective will be your 
labor. Such a method insures the utmost economy 
of time, but its chief advantage lies in the fact that 
every Prospect and every policy is linked up with 
other Prospects and policies. Every case is made a 
stepping stone to another case. 

When an agent who is working on this plan closes 
a case, he immediately proceeds to work upon the 
relatives, friends and business associates of the man 
with whom he has just done business. These are 
logically his most likely Prospects. His system is 

49 



an endless chain, with its continuous effect of in- 
fluence, and his work is along the line of least re- 
sistance. 

Sufficient attention is not paid to the task of 
creating Prospects. What we call "Prospects" are 
generally no more than possible Prospect material 
which, with skillful handling, may be converted into 
genuine Prospects. How frequently it happens that 
an agent approaches a man half-cock and meets 
with a flat turndown, because the man is not a 
Prospect. But, he may be made into one. Another 
agent takes the trouble to learn something about the 
individual's affairs and goes to see him with a defi- 
nite proposition to protect a daughter, provide for 
the Inheritance Tax, or fulfill some other specific 
purpose, — and interests him. The second agent 
creates a Prospect. This is constructive work of 
the kind that pays. 

Most of us carry too much deadwood in our card 
files and waste a great deal of time on it. We can't 
altogether avoid this element of our business, but 
we may keep it down to a minimum. There is a 
limit beyond which it is unprofitable to put in time 
on a case. For instance, — to take an extreme illus- 
tration, — if you knew that a man might be written 
for $2,000 of insurance, provided you devoted two 
hours' time a week to the task for a year, the busi- 
ness wouldn't be worth while at the price. 

Of course, there is no precise means of measuring 
the value of Prospects. You may, however, apply 
tests to slow cases, with a view to determining 
whether or not they have serious intentions. Per- 
haps, the best way of dealing with doubtful Pros- 
pects is to make a round-up of their cards at inter- 

50 



vals, — say, every three months. Then devote a week 
or so to cleaning them up. Go to see each one with 
the determination of killing or closing the case at 
that interview. This attitude on your part cannot 
fail to have a desirable effect and a surprising 
amount of business is pretty sure to come out of a 
bunch of cards that otherwise would probably yield 
next to nothing. 

It is not to be inferred that the cultivation of 
Prospects is condemned. You will have cases worth 
nursing along and taking trouble over. These cases 
often yield the richest returns, when handled with 
thought and care. The largest producers get a great 
deal of business by painstaking development of 
Prospects. The process involves more than merely 
carrying the man's name in your card file. You 
must add to your information about him at every 
opportunity and, especially, be on the lookout for 
changes in his condition favorable to your project. 
You should use every available means to improve 
your acquaintance with him. And, you must not 
neglect to make his case the subject of deliberate 
thought at frequent intervals. 

The object of your efforts should be to make as 
much money as you can and, at the same time, to 
confer as much benefit as possible upon the com- 
munity in which you live. The more business you 
write, the more will these purposes — both of them — 
be furthered. Consequently, your personal inter- 
ests, as well as ethical considerations, demand that 
you should follow the lines of least resistance. And, 
that means seeking the most promising Prospects 
and those likely to be the least difficult to close. 

Let us start the consideration of this matter with 



51 



a few general suggestions. 1. Married men and 
widowers are more favorable Prospects, as a rule, 
than men who have not been married, and this re- 
gardless of age. 2. Men of permanent occupation, 
with good salaries or independent business of a 
stable character, are the most desirable Prospects. 
Those whose position is uncertain, whose business 
is speculative, or whose income is derived from 
commissions, will generally be averse to assuming 
fixed and continued obligations. Or, which is worse, 
will lightly incur obligations with little likelihood 
of fulfilling them. 3. Age is an important consid- 
eration. Beginners are apt to imagine that young 
men are the best Prospects. This is a gross mis- 
take. The chances of success will be greater with 
men who have business and domestic liabilities to 
protect, men who have reached mature age and have 
been successful. The most promising Prospects are 
to be found between the ages of 40 and 60. 4. The 
inexperienced agent unwittingly pits himself against 
the hardest cases by seeking men who are unin- 
sured. Much more likely Prospects are to be found 
among men who have shown their appreciation of 
Life Insurance by taking substantial amounts of it. 
5. Connection is a valuable factor. The securing 
of an application depends upon the creation of a 
certain degree of confidence, with which it may be 
difficult to inspire an entire stranger. Look for 
Prospects among your acquaintances, or among men 
who are known to your friends or policyholders. 
When you have lived in a community for a few 
years it should be possible to establish some kind 
of link or connection between yourself and most of 
the Prospects whom you approach. 

52 



There is no better source of Prospects than policy- 
holders, provided the agent has rendered them good 
service. They should be cultivated for additional 
insurance, as well as for the business that may be 
secured by their influence. Some agents obtain the 
bulk of their production from policyholders. But, 
that sort of thing is possible only if they are called 
upon at frequent intervals and genuine effort is 
made to give them the utmost possible Life Insur- 
ance service. We miss a great deal of business by 
failure in this respect. 

There never was a time when Business Insurance 
received so favorable consideration as at present. 
Corporations are covering their valued officers and 
employes, because of the extraordinary difficulty in 
these days of finding capable men disengaged. 
Prospects for comparatively small amounts of Busi- 
ness Insurance are quite generally neglected. Nev- 
ertheless, the need is greatest among this class and 
they may readily be made to see it. This is one of 
the most* fertile fields for business. 

Just one more suggestion. The best Prospect for 
you may not be the best for another man. Many 
agents ignore this fact. This morning they are can- 
vassing a banker and this afternoon a blacksmith, 
tomorrow a college professor and the next day a 
dressmaker. The man who does this sort of thing 
must be off his beat about half the time. 

Your personality, training, experience, former 
occupation, and so forth, make you better adapted 
to doing business with certain classes of Prospects 
than with others. Find out what is the line of least 
resistance for you and follow it. 



53 



CHAPTER 11. 

PREPARING PRESENTATIONS. 

By "preparing presentations" we mean practicing 
in preparation for canvasses, — that, is training our- 
selves for the practical part of our work. It can't be 
necessary to say that this is of the utmost importance. 
Nevertheless, comparatively few life insurance agents 
attend to the matter systematically. 

The preparation we have in mind is of two kinds, — 
general and specific. It is preparation for canvassing 
in general and preparation for canvassing in particu- 
lar cases. 

In every other profession and business the need of 
this sort of self -training is recognized. Aside from 
his legal education, the attorney studies logic, prac- 
tices elocution, reads speeches and otherwise prepares 
for his work in general. When he has a case, he ex- 
amines all its features, frames his argument or 
"brief," rehearses his address to the jury and, in 
short, goes over the whole ground beforehand. 

So it is with the minister, the surgeon, the engineer, 
the banker, the real estate dealer, — whom you will. 
Efficient men in every vocation train themselves to 
meet the conditions of their calling and make special 
preparations for dealing with important occasions. 
In most instances the preparation is made on both 
sides. The lawyer's case is conducted in competition. 
In the real estate deal, each party has posted himself 
on the facts of the matter. When the banker discusses 
a loan with a client he has informed himself of the 
pros and cons of the case. 

54 



The Life Insurance agent has this advantage, that 
his Prospect is very seldom prepared for the inter- 
view. Consequently the agent who has rehearsed his 
canvass beforehand should have altogether the best of 
the argument. But, if the truth must be told, the 
agent is often totally unprepared for the interview. 
He has not even a ready answer to the common stand- 
offs which he encounters at the outset. These are so 
general and are so similar that we might call them 
standard objections. We should have standard re- 
plies. But, for the most part, we don't. And that, 
simply because we neglect preparation for our can- 
vasses. 

There are two broad classes of interviews — those 
which are prearranged and those which are not. "With 
the comparatively few salesmen who do their busi- 
ness on the most expert lines, interviews are prac- 
tically all of the former kind. With agents who spe- 
cialize in the straight canvass, interviews are mostly 
of the *latter kind. The majority of agents combine 
these methods. They approach a large number of 
men, about whom they know little and with whom 
they have not appointments. With, perhaps, ten per 
cent of the strangers approached, the agent succeeds 
in arranging for interviews. 

There are two distinct phases of this work. One is 
an endeavor to create prospects and to gain informa- 
tion about them. The other is a definite canvass and 
effort to close. There should be two distinct kinds of 
preparation. 

The first part of your work is much the same as 
that of the man who makes a straight canvass. The 
chief needs are to contrive a successful approach and 
to create enough interest to secure an interview either 

55 



immediately or at some future date. The chances of 
success are greatly increased by preparation. 

In order to strengthen your approach, think of the 
best ways of opening up on different classes of men. 
Prepare a supply of apt replies to the stock stand- 
offs with which you are familiar. Frame a few terse, 
striking statements that will arouse attention and act 
as an entering wedge for the creation of interest. In 
this connection remember that curiosity and hope of 
gain are the most likely motives to induce men to 
investigate your proposition. 

In order to create serious interest and a desire to 
"see the goods " }^ou must be prepared with brief 
statements of the service you propose to render and 
outline presentations of the policies you usually offer. 
Avoid details and bring out the high lights. Your ob- 
ject is to make your man want to hear more and give 
you an opportunity to lay a definite proposition be- 
fore him. 

If you will take the trouble to train yourself for 
doing this part of your work effectively you may count 
on, at least, twice as many interviews in consequence. 
It is not such a hard matter either. Just spend a few 
evening hours in thinking of answers to objections, 
arguments for insurance, snappy ^statements, and 
methods of exciting curiosity. Write out skeleton 
policy presentations and memorize them. 

One of the most profitable uses to which you can 
put spare time is in preparing policy presentations 
and writing canvasses for particular or general cases. 
The practice clarifies the ideas, improves the power 
of expression, impresses the mind with the strong 
points of policies and enriches the store of arguments. 
The process must bring out new thoughts and suggest 

56 



fresh ways of presenting old ones. It is the most 
practical and effective training for actual work on 
Prospects. It is safe to say, that one hour each eve- 
ning spent in this way will increase your production 
fifty per cent or more in six months. 

Another excellent occupation for an occasional eve- 
ning hour is in reviewing experiences. Go over the 
day's work in retrospect and pass critical judgment 
on it. In particular, make a mental examination of 
all important interviews. Determine the causes of 
your successes and failures. By this means you will 
avoid the repetition of mistakes and will make effec- 
tive methods part of your permanent equipment. As 
it is, you probably commit the same error time and 
again without being conscious of it. On the other 
hand, you frequently use a telling argument or em- 
ploy clever tactics without fully appreciating the ef- 
fect. In short, for lack of thinking over our expe- 
riences we gain but little of the benefit that might be 
derived from them. 

Useful canvassing material is constantly passing 
through an agent's fingers, so to speak. He reads a 
good thing in one of the journals. He hears of a 
clever device employed by another agent. We all 
have inspirations, — say something bright or make a 
clinching argument, on the spur of the moment. 

Unfortunately, we don't make the most of 
these experiences. "We should jot them down in a 
note book for future use. Very frequently we can 
improve on a good thing of this sort or adapt it to 
some other end. 

Now, for the other part of the w^ork. I will sup- 
pose that you have a definite appointment to present 

57 



a proposition and have gained the information neces- 
sary to base it on. 

It is not sufficient to decide on the kind and amount 
of insurance you are going to offer. Write down all 
the facts that bear on the case. See what arguments 
you can deduce from them. Then write out your 
canvass and rehearse it. Surely you can see the 
advantage of approaching a Prospect after a prep- 
aration of this kind. 

I strongly recommend the following practice, es- 
pecially in the case of a second interview. Some time 
before the hour of an appointment with a Prospect, 
— at home, on the previous evening is a favorable oc- 
casion, — sit down where you will be undisturbed, and 
direct your mind, with concentration, upon the ap- 
proaching task. Visualize the situation, with as much 
detail as possible. Imagine yourself seated before 
your prospect. Proceed with your canvass. Hear his 
questions and objections. Answer them and continue 
with your argument. See him gradually yielding to 
your persuasion and ultimately signing the applica- 
tion. 

When you enter upon the actual interview, give no 
thought to this rehearsal and, above all, do not at- 
tempt to reproduce it. Go about your business in the 
ordinary manner. You will experience an unusual 
sense of confidence and ease. The negotiation will 
move with surprising smoothness and, in all proba- 
bility, to a favorable conclusion. The effects of the 
method will increase with practice. A few trials must 
convince you of the efficacy of the system, w^hich is in 
strict accordance with scientific psychological laws. 



58 



CHAPTER 12. 
THE APPROACH. 

Whether the interview be prearranged or casual, 
the approach calls for the exercise of skill. This skill 
is derived from experience, training and preparation. 
We do not, as a rule, devote anything like the effort 
that we should to acquiring efficiency in this respect. 
Its importance, however, is obvious. A successful Ap- 
proach is a pre-requisite to the presentation, without 
which closing is impossible. 

Personality plays an important part in this stage 
of your intercourse with a stranger. He knows noth- 
ing about you and little, if anything, about your er- 
rand. The impression that you make upon him at 
the very outset will weigh heavily in his decision 
as to granting you an interview and it often has an 
after effect on your future relations with him. The 
cultivation of ideal personality has been made the 
subject of a previous chapter. It will suffice at this 
point to call your attention to its value in connec- 
tion with the Approach. 

Your immediate purpose is to create in the mind of 
your Prospect enough interest or curiosity to induce 
him to give you a hearing, at once or at some future 
date. Your entire thought and effort should be 
focused on this purpose. The Approach is one of 
three distinct phases of the canvass, in each of which 
the agent's mind should be concentrated on the ac- 
complishment of the appropriate object, — and nothing 
else. A great deal of failure is attributable to scat- 
tering thought and effort. Matters properly belong- 
ing to the presentation are permitted to encroach upon 

59 



the ground which should be reserved exclusively for 
the effort to secure an interview. Observance of this 
one principle will measurably strengthen the Ap- 
proach of any agent. 

Now, with a well-defined view of our object and the 
manner in which we intend to pursue it, — which will, 
of course, vary with every occasion, — let us proceed 
to a consideration of the psychology of the Approach. 
It may be taken for granted that you realize that a 
sale is almost entirely a mental operation, so far as 
its essential processes are concerned. Consequently, 
the chief requirement is an understanding of these 
processes. Given such an understanding, the rest is 
merely a matter of intelligent application of prin- 
ciples appropriate to particular cases. 

If you are in the right mental attitude, the means 
you employ to gain an interview with your Prospect, 
will not be deceptive, devious nor dishonest. Any suc- 
cess secured by such means must be short-lived and 
dearly bought. Its discovery will be accompanied by 
the creation of an adverse mental attitude on the part 
of the Prospect, which you will have to overcome. It 
is the height of folly to open in such a manner a 
negotiation which depends for its success upon the 
establishment of confidence. If you were a process 
server, your object would be accomplished when you 
entered a man's office. But, as a salesman that is 
only a preparatory step in your purpose, though an 
important one, which should be taken with all the 
pains possible to create conditions favorable to the 
success of your next step. 

This admonition against equivocal methods is not 
to be construed as a recommendation of unrestrained 
frankness. The chief motives on which you have to 

60 



rely for an interview are curiosity and interest. In 
the endeavor to excite these you may legitimately ex- 
ercise a certain degree of reserve and resort to a cer- 
tain degree of ambiguity in your statement. But, 
you must not state an untruth, nor make an assertion 
that will not be borne out in your canvass. 

If you can arouse curiosity in your Prospect's 
mind, you will, at least, have secured his attention, 
which will carry you an appreciable way toward ex- 
citing his interest. In some instances, this may be 
sufficent to accomplish the immediate object of the 
Approach, — that is, to obtain for you the desired in- 
terview. The principle involved is illustrated in the 
tactics of the street fakir or the barker for a dime 
museum, which are too familiar to be dwelt upon. 

An associated idea, in this connection, is one re- 
lated to the personal affairs of the Prospect. It would 
be almost, but not quite, exact to call it self-interest. 
When you state: "I can save you money" or "My 
proposition will promote your business/ 7 you are 
arousing associated interest. This must not be con- 
fused with the definite and direct interest which must 
be excited by the presentation of the proposition. 
That belongs to the next stage of the canvass. At 
present your efforts should be confined to securing 
a hearing. 

Getting in to see a Prospect is mainly a matter of 
combined personality and skill. It is not sufficient to 
depend upon sheer nerve. That often leads to "but- 
ting in" and overlooks the fact that the chief pur- 
pose is not to see the man r but to sell him. You might 
enter a busy man's office by way of the fire escape, 
but you have little chance of getting his application 
after doing so. 

61 



There are various effective methods pf contriving 
contact with the Prospect, despite the different ob- 
stacles which are commonly encountered by the sales- 
man working among the business men of a city. 
These methods are based on psychological principles. 
We cannot examine them closely, but it may be stated 
that your appeal for an interview should generally 
rest on one or more of four specific grounds. These 
are: personal interest; business duty; sense of fair- 
ness ; and natural instinct to choose the easier of two 
courses. 

The first of these influences may be brought into 
play by a letter of introduction from a friend of the 
Prospect. You may excite the sense of duty by inti- 
mating to the president of a corporation, through a 
message or a note, that you wish to see him on a 
matter of consequence to his company The third 
ground may be taken with a busy prospect by con- 
veying to him the impression that you, too, are busy 
and chary of wasting time. By puzzling the prospect 
and arousing his curiosity, you may induce him to de- 
cide that the easiest course is to see you. 

Whatever may be the method employed by the 
salesman to contrive contact with his Prospect, the 
interviewer must bear out any intimations or state- 
ments advanced as reasons for asking it. For ex- 
ample, it would be useless to gain admittance to the 
president's office on the ground of presenting a propo- 
sition of importance to his company, unless one was 
really in a position to do so. In short, although in 
the stage of Approach the effort should be concen- 
trated on securing an interview, the method employed 
for the purpose must not be such as to impair the 
chances of success in the negotiation. 

62 



CHAPTER 12. 

THE SECOND INTERVIEW. 

Without doubt a great deal of business is lost 
by reason of failure on the part of agents to fully 
appreciate the importance of the Second Interview. 
The word "interview" is used in the sense of a fair 
opportunity to state and discuss your proposition. 
If such an occasion has occurred, the next time that 
you approach your Prospect it should be with a 
view to closing the case. The agent who goes to 
the Second Interview with the idea of merely im- 
proving the state of the negotiation is, in reality, 
doing the reverse. He is encouraging the almost 
universal tendency to procrastinate and increasing 
the difficulty of ultimate success. 

Take the common sense view of the matter. In 
two interviews you can ordinarily explain your 
proposition fully and advance all your arguments, 
whilst giving your Prospect the chance to say all 
that he may desire. What more is there to the 
affair but to reach a conclusion, one way or the 
other? Continuing the canvass beyond this point 
is illogical and wasteful of time and energy. Agents 
who will adopt this view of the matter cannot fail 
to increase their business. Many cases which might 
be closed at the second interview go stale on the 
agent's hands and are never landed. Those who 
doubt this statement can satisfy themselves with a 
few trials. But, in order to make the Second Inter- 
view decisive, with favorable results in the majority 

A3 



of instances, some other conditions must be observed 
which we will proceed to consider. 

In a few instances the first interview will end 
with a postponement of the matter for a considera- 
ble time, on reasonable grounds. This will seldom 
happen and under all other circumstances the Sec- 
ond Interview should occur as soon as possible. In 
this connection we commonly make a mistake. 
Nine times in ten the agent asks the Prospect when 
he may see him again. Of course, the logical thing 
would be for the prospect to name an early date. 
But, he doesn't because he is inclined to procrasti- 
nate. As likely as not, he doesn't mention a date 
at all, but says ' ' Oh, some time next month, " or " In 
two or three weeks," which is simply putting the 
matter off indefinitely. 

In this situation and, in fact, at every stage of 
the canvass, the agent should take the initiative. 
When the question of the Second Interview arises, 
make a suggestion to hold it the next day. If the 
Prospect demurs propose the day after, and so on. 
If this course is followed, he will almost invariably 
agree to a meeting within three or four days' time. 
The advantage to you lies less in pushing your 
business than in the fact that such an arrangement 
brings you and your Prospect together again, each 
with a recollection of what was said at the first in- 
terview. The impressions made upon him at the 
time will not have faded. Whereas, if a considerable 
interval elapses between the interviews you will 
have much of your work to do over again. 

In case you leave an illustration or written state- 
ment at the close of the first interview, ask your 
Prospect to put it in his pocket and take it home, 

64 



where he can think over it at his leisure. This will 
probably bring it to the notice of his wife, who is 
bound to exert an influence on the question, one 
way or another. Women are far from being as an- 
tagonistic to life insurance as they were formerly. 
Nevertheless, they do oppose it sometimes. But, if 
you are going to have the opposition of the wife, it 
will be better to experience it at the outset than 
later. 

The Second Interview should be an intelligent and 
orderly continuation of the first. With a brief re- 
capitulation of the main points made at the former 
sitting, you should go on with your canvass in much 
the same manner as though there had been no break 
in it. It is a good plan to begin by testing your 
Prospect's recollection of the principal features of 
your policy presentation. Follow with a repetition, 
in different form, of such arguments and statements 
as appeared to impress him at the first interview. 
Then concentrate your efforts on creating desire 
with a view to closing. 

In order to practice this method with the best 
results it is necessary to make deliberate prepara- 
tion for the Second Interview. This should com- 
mence with a thoughtful review of the first inter- 
view as soon as possible after its occurrence. In 
doing this it is advisable to make written memo- 
randa. Note, in particular, statements made by 
yourself and significant remarks made by the Pros- 
pect. Before going to the Second Interview re-read 
these memoranda and, with them as a basis, rehearse 
the canvass which you propose to make. 

This practice will involve a little time and trouble, 
but it will surelv result in your closing more cases 



with fewer interviews. It is the business-like way 
of going about your work. Get into the right 
mental attitude. Cut out the habit of visiting and 
nursing your Prospects. Half of them become 
"dead ones" under such treatment. 

Procrastination is the chief difficulty with which 
you have to contend. Most of it may be overcome 
by the exercise of a little firmness. Provided you 
employ ordinary tact, there need be no fear of of- 
fending your Prospect. A man who is disposed to 
postpone a decision will generally be relieved to 
have the question settled, and secretly grateful to 
you for helping him reach a conclusion. 

Make it a rule to close in two interviews. Take 
pains to prepare properly for the second. And you 
will find your production materially increased as a 
consequence. 



CHAPTER 14. 
CREATING DESIRE. 

The second stage of the canvass is coincident with 
the interview proper. The task appropriate to it 
is the Creation of Desire through the medium of the 
presentation of the proposition. As a preliminary to 
this, the agent must entertain confidence in himself, 
in the company which he represents and in his 
offer. He cannot, otherwise, excite these sentiments, 
as he necessarily must, in the mind of the Prospect. 
In case explanation and argument are required, they 
should be disposed of at the opening of the presenta- 
tion. The later attempts to create Desire will gen- 
erally be more effectively promoted by the employ- 
ment of suggestion in various forms. 

At the opening of the presentation the expert 
salesman is seeking to discover the motive that is 
most likely to actuate the Prospect to a favorable 
decision. For this purpose experienced agents em- 
ploy a series of "try outs," just as an angler uses a 
variety of bait. When the Prospect displays more 
than ordinary interest in one of these test state- 
ments, the prevailing motive is usually revealed. 
Thereafter, the agent's efforts are directed toward 
the excitement of it, until pronounced desire shall 
have been aroused. 

Throughout your statement, let logic and fact be 
your guideposts. Don't say anything but what will 
appeal to your Prospect's reason, nor anything but 
what you are prepared to substantiate. Remember 

67 



that your success depends upon the establishment 
of confidence. The man who cherishes truth and 
thinks straight cannot fail to inspire belief in his 
sincerity and honesty. 

There are nine mental stages through which a 
typical Prospect passes from the first approach of 
the salesman to the signing of the order. They are : 
1. Involuntary attention. 2. First impression. 
3. Curiosity. 4. Associated interest. 5. Consid- 
eration. 6. Deliberation. 7. Imagination. 9. Re- 
solve. The first three of these and, perhaps, the 
fourth, are associated with the stage of Approach. 
The fifth, Consideration, is a feature of the opening 
phase of the interview proper. At this point the 
mingling of minds begins and the actual selling 
process commences. 

If the presentation is lucid, logical and easily as- 
similable by the Prospect's mind, it will excite his 
imagination, which is an essential prelude to De- 
sire. One must have a mental picture of a thing 
before he can wish to possess it. Deliberation will 
raise thoughts of the expense and other difficulties 
involved in acquisition. As soon as possible the 
Prospect's mind must be led away from such con- 
siderations. This may be done by suggestions that 
will arouse imagination of possession — the pleasure, 
profit and satisfaction which will accrue from pos- 
session. 

Desire is always associated, more or less, with 
dissatisfaction. This feeling must be an element in 
any wish to change existing conditions. It may be 
advisable for the salesman to increase the dissatis- 
faction of the Prospect. In attempting to do so he 
should use finesse and judgment, employing sug- 



gestion, rather than open statement, to convey the 
idea. 

At the very outset of the presentation many sales- 
men create an unnecessary difficulty for themselves 
by stating the cost of the insurance they are pro- 
posing. This is in effect raising a barrier between 
themselves and the Prospect, which can be sur- 
mounted only with difficulty at this stage of the can- 
vass. Cost is the sole obstacle to the success of the 
sales effort. If the policy was to be given away, 
the whole matter could be settled in five minutes. 
Before Desire has been created, a small cost is a 
serious objection. After Desire has been created, 
a substantial cost sinks into comparative insignifi- 
cance. Statement of cost should be deferred to the 
closing stage of the canvass. 

If the thought should rest on purchase, Desire 
would never arise. The thought must extend to 
after possession and be associated with the ideas of 
enjoyment, utility, profit or beneficence. The woman 
looking at a hat in a show window, sees herself in 
imagination wearing it, — and her friends admiring 
it. The man examining an automobile, feels him- 
self in imagination flying over the country roads in 
it. The merchant considering an order for goods, 
imagines himself selling them for a profit. Employ- 
ing this principle, you must make your Prospect 
see in his mind's eye the effects of the policy you 
are offering to him. Lead his imagination to a con- 
templation of the proceeds conserving the home and 
educating the children, providing for his comfort 
in old age, and so on. 

In your effort to excite Desire through the presen- 
tation of your proposition the most powerful agency 

69 



at your command is Suggestion. Its employment 
will enable you to lead the Prospect to make a fa- 
vorable decision without appeal or urge on your 
part. Argument may convince a man that he ought 
to do or to have something, but he will not act on 
the conviction until Desire is aroused. Don't do 
your Prospect's thinking for him. By suggestion, 
induce him to originate ideas favorable to your pur- 
pose. Push appropriate buttons and set desirable 
mental currents in motion. This method is termed 
" making the Prospect sell himself." 

Selfishness must be reckoned with in all sales 
efforts. It is a universal trait and influences all our 
actions, even when most apparently altruistic. Tact 
must be exercised in playing upon innate selfish- 
ness. It may be the actuating motive with a man 
who w T ill not admit the fact to himself. An overt 
appeal to that motive is apt to create offense. The 
expert salesman will have no difficulty in making 
the desired impression through the medium of Sug- 
gestion, conveyed so subtly that the Prospect will 
not perceive its source. 

In the course of our canvass we often create dif- 
ficulties that would not otherwise exist. This is 
mainly due to thoughtlessness and failure to make 
preparation for our work. It is not, however, 
enough to avoid the creation of difficulties. We 
should devise methods of making it easy for the 
Prospect to do what we want him to do, to say 
what we desire that he should, and to think in a 
manner favorable to our purpose. Consideration of 
the matter will lead to many ways of accomplishing 
these ends. I shall confine myself to a few sugges- 
tions. 

70 



In the presentation it is of the utmost importance 
to make our statements and our explanations per- 
fectly understandable. "We are apt to forget that 
what is quite plain to us, may be decidedly obscure 
to our Prospect. We should rehearse with a view 
to making presentations in simple, lucid, every-day 
language. 

Avoid loading your Prospect with a lot of details 
which his mind cannot retain, even if he understands 
them. A clear-cut impression of your offer is calcu- 
lated to arouse his desire, and such an impression 
can best be made by confining your presentation to 
salient points. Take your small boy into a toy shop 
and tell him to pick out what he wants. The 
chances are that he will roam around for an hour 
without reaching a decision. But, place two or three 
toys on the floor before him and he'll make a choice 
in five minutes. 

Employ the percentage method of statement. It 
is an effective way of making it easy for the Pros- 
pect*. Give the premium as a percentage of the face 
amount, the loan values as percentages of the aggre- 
gate payments, the cash settlement at maturity as a 
percentage of net cost, and so on. Thus you will 
save your Prospect the trouble of making mathe- 
matical calculations, which most men dislike. 

Don't make the canvass a contest. Bring your 
Prospect's mind into agreement with your own. 
Establish mental co-operation. As soon as possible 
get over to the Prospect's side of the fence. Think 
and talk from his point of view. Help him with sug- 
gestion and encourage him to express his opinion. 
Make the canvass a discussion, — not a stump speech. 



71 



CHAPTER 15. 
CONCERNING CLOSING. 

Closing is, of course, the most important feature of 
a sale and the most difficult part of the performance. 
Nevertheless, it is not such a hard matter as some of 
you think. It is certainly a mistake to look on the 
ability to close as a special gift or natural endow- 
ment. Any one of you may become a good closer, if 
he will take the trouble. 

Closing is the culmination of various processes that 
enter into a canvass. The success or failure of the 
final effort will depend upon the manner in which 
you do the preceding work. An impression made in 
the approach may have a strong influence on the pros- 
pect at the closing stage and, of course, clear presenta- 
tion and forceful argument are prime factors in bring- 
ing him to a favorable decision. 

Many cases are lost because the agent allows the 
close to occupy such a prominent place in his mind 
as to dwarf the importance of other phases of the 
canvass. To put it another way, many closing efforts 
fail simply because the previous work has been de- 
fective. Care and concentration in preparation, ap- 
proach, presentation and argument will insure much 
greater success in closing than you have been accus- 
tomed to. 

Careful preparation will enable you to make an im- 
pressive statement of your proposition and to sup- 
port it with strong argument. It will also create con- 
fidence, which is one of the most potent factors in 
successful closing. The canvass is a chain of closely 

72 



connected processes and weakness at any point must 
endanger the whole. 

Over-anxiety is a common cause of failure. You 
go through an interview with your mind absorbed in 
thoughts of closing when it should be engaged in 
other matters. A canvass consists of a series of dis- 
tinct stages, each with its definite object. In the ap- 
proach your purpose is to create a favorable impres- 
sion and to gain an interview; in the presentation 
your purpose is to convey an understanding of the 
proposition; in the argument your purpose is to ex- 
cite desire. At each stage you should concentrate en- 
tirely upon the appropriate effort and its object. If 
you do so the close will almost take care of itself. It 
will naturally follow the creation of desire and re- 
quire little additional effort. 

The exaggerated emphasis placed on what is 
termed "the psychological moment " for closing is re- 
sponsible for much failure. The agent goes through 
the interview in tense expectation, looking for the mys- 
terious "psychological moment" and fearful lest he 
shall miss it. As likely as not it never occurs, because 
he fails to realize that it is a condition which grows 
out of his mental attitude, as well as that of the 
Prospect. In fact, the "psychological moment" is 
the time when he and his Prospect are of one mind. 

Of course, there is a stage in every effort when 
conditions are distinctly favorable to success. But 
it is absurd to suppose that such a situation can arise 
but once in the course of a canvass. This belief is 
the cause of a great deal of premature quitting. Hav- 
ing failed to close at w^hat he considers to be "the 
psychological moment," the agent thinks that his 
chances are exhausted. As a matter of fact, such an 

73 



occasion may be followed by another, even more fa- 
vorable, within ten minutes and, perhaps, a third, 
in which success is the reward of persistence. 

Long before reaching the close, you should have 
decided upon the motive which, more than any other, 
is likely to influence the Prospect. In the closing 
stage stimulation of that motive should be your chief 
endeavor. And, very often it may be more strongly 
stimulated by subtle suggestion than by direct ap- 
peal. 

It frequently happens that an agent has conducted 
a canvass efficiently up to the very point of securing 
the signature and then loses out because he waits for 
the Prospect to take the initiative. Even though they 
have decided to accept the proposition, hardly one in 
ten men will say so, unless prompted. Persons of the 
positive type are comparatively rare. The majority 
experience difficulty in reaching a decision on any 
point of importance and are really relieved by some- 
one helping them to make up their minds. At the 
final stage of the close you must exercise assertive- 
ness. 

No precise method can be laid down for obtaining 
the signature. It is well to pave the way to the dot- 
ted line by framing statements throughout the canvass 
in such a way as to intimate your confidence that the 
Prospect is going to take the insurance. In trying to 
induce his decision don't ask whether you may write 
the application, but proceed to do it, with some such 
remark as: "Then we'll consider it settled, Mr. 
Blank." In some cases a less abrupt wind-up is ad- 
visable and you may gain your object by asking what 
will be the most convenient method of settlement. 

This is an endless subject, with innumerable angles 

74 



to it. Much that has been said under other heads has 
its bearing on Closing. How to close is the eternal 
question in our business. There is no specific answer 
to it. Each case presents its peculiar problems and 
calls for peculiar treatment. There are fewer methods 
of general applicability to this phase of our work than 
to any other. Perhaps, the personality of the sales- 
man exercises greater influence at this stage of the 
canvass than at any other. Therefore, the lines fol- 
lowed successfully by one man may prove utterly in- 
effective when attempted by another. 



75 



CHAPTER 16. 
THE PSYCHOLOGY OP A SALE. 

A sale is ninety per cent a mental process. There 
are certain things to be done in a sale^ but their ef- 
fectiveness depends upon thoughtful direction. There 
is much to be said in a sale, but the value of the talk 
lies in the thought back of it. You must advance a 
definite proposition, and to make it attractive you 
must have considered it carefully. A certain motive 
is behind every purchase, and to discover and stimu- 
late it, you need to use your brain. Your Prospect 
must be made to think along certain lines, and you 
must have been over the mental track previously, in 
order to guide him. 

As a matter of fact, a sale is a mental process from 
beginning to end. Let us see how it works when prop- 
erly carried out. 

To begin with, you have certain information re- 
lating to a Prospect. You should have all that you 
can obtain. Your immediate task is to consider this 
data in all its bearings upon your project of getting 
an application. What kind of proposition does it sug- 
gest? What motive do you gather from it as most 
likely to induce your man to close ? What hints does 
it give you as to the most effective way of working 
your case ? 

You should concentrate your best thought on this 
first step of the process, for it is the actual beginning 
of the sale. Whilst reflecting on your proposition and 
preparing the presentation of it, you are creating con- 
viction of its worth in your own mind and confidence 

76 



in your ability to convey this conviction to the mind 
of your Prospect. In short, you are preparing to sell 
the policy to your Prospect by selling it to yourself 
first. 

Now, having decided to your own complete satis- 
faction upon the character of your proposition and 
the manner of presenting it, you probably think that 
you are ready to meet your Prospect. But are you? 
Not unless you are in the right mental attitude, — not 
unless every lurking doubt as to your success has been 
put aside and you are filled with confidence in your 
ability to close the case. 

The feeling with which you approach an interview 
is a ninety per cent factor in the result. And the 
result is a foregone conclusion in a majority of in- 
stances. If it were possible to look into your mind 
fifteen minutes before you entered a Prospect's of- 
fice, one could tell, nine times out of ten whether 
you would succeed or fail in your effort. 

The proper mental attitude, — that is to say, the 
condition of mind most conducive to success, — is one 
which you should constantly maintain. Start the day 
with a cheery, eager, forceful feeling. Don't let it 
become impaired. If you meet with a set-back or a 
disagreeable experience, apply the antedote of optim- 
istic thought. Keep your mental attitude right. It is 
the chief success factor. 

Then there is the mental attitude of the Prospect. 
Perhaps you think that is a matter beyond your con- 
trol. But it isn't. You know what his mental atti- 
tude ought to be, — what you want it to be. By re- 
flecting on the matter beforehand and getting a clear 
idea of just what you wish the Prospect to think, you 

77 



will greatly increase your ability to induce him to 
think along the desired lines. 

There is no exaggeration in the statement that the 
average agent ? s business would be doubled if he would 
double the amount of thought that he devotes to it. 
Foot- work without brain- work is sheer waste of en- 
ergy. Persistent pavement pounding will produce 
some business, but half the physical effort, with hard 
thinking behind it, will produce much more. 

We hear a great deal about " seeing more persons," 
and the advice is not to be despised. But, there is no 
virtue in merely seeing men. The secret of success 
consists in thoughtfully preparing to see Prospects 
with desired effect. One man interviewed in the 
proper manner will afford a greater chance of getting 
an application than will a dozen men called upon 
without thought or preparation. Most agents would 
benefit by reducing their physical work, if they would 
increase their mental work proportionally. 

If you have never tried it, you will be surprised by 
the improvement of your business which will result 
from thoroughly studying each of your cases. Don't 
confine your thought to preparation for the first in- 
terview. After that has occurred, carefully consider 
the case again in the light of the information and im- 
pressions gained at that interview. Failure to do this 
is the specific cause of a great deal of business being 
lost The agent starts out with effective work as the 
result of preparation and then, as the negotiation 
progresses, weakens by reason of failure to continue 
the application of thought to the case. 

Absorb the idea that a sale is a psychological process 
and pay more attention to the mental factors in it. 

78 



Just as soon as you do this, you will find your can- 
vasses becoming more purposeful and effective. You 
will gain a sense of confident control over the inter- 
view. Tour work will become more interesting and 
more productive. 



79 



CHAPTER 17. 
SETTLEMENTS AND DELIVERIES. 

Settlements have a much greater effect on the 
profit and loss in an agent's business than is gener- 
ally realized. Good Settlements entail actual gain 
in money and increase of business. 

Some men contrive to get cash with the applica- 
tion in nearly every case. Others rarely do so. As 
a consequence, they lose a great deal of time in 
making difficult deliveries. Sometimes insurance, 
which might have been settled for when the appli- 
cation was taken, cannot be placed. A large amount 
of business is lost in this way. 

The right time for an applicant to pay the first 
premium is when he signs the application. The 
company expects him to do so. It is to his interest 
and to yours that he should. In the great majority 
of instances the only difficulty about securing Set- 
tlement with the application lies in our imagination. 
Adopt the correct mental attitude toward the mat- 
ter. Habituate yourself to think and act as though 
it is the ordinary thing to do, and you will soon 
find yourself regularly collecting cash with appli- 
cations. 

Unfortunately, the loose practice of Life Insur- 
ance agents has created a faulty idea regarding 
the transaction. You will encounter many persons 
who are not disposed to settle at the time of sign- 
ing. In preparation for such cases you must have 
an explanation ready. Something such as the fol- 
lowing will generally serve your purpose : 

so 



"If you pay the premium now, Mr. Doe, your in- 
surance goes into full force and effect from the 
moment that your application is accepted. Between 
that time and the receipt of the policy by me a week 
or more may elapse. Even after I get it, there may 
be considerable delay in delivery, owing to your ab- 
sence from the city or your being too busy to see 
me at once. Now, supposing that you die in the 
interval. Not very likely, I'll admit, but possible 
and, should it happen, a heavy loss would befall 
your beneficiary. Or you may become ill, in which 
case I could not place the policy with you. 

"But, if you settle for the insurance now, the 
contract becomes effective as soon^as your examina- 
tion is favorably passed upon and, even though you 
should be dead before the policy can be delivered, 
the claim will be paid. Furthermore, the premium 
is charged from the date of issue and it would seem 
to be good business to have the benefit of all you are 
paying for. It is clearly in your own interest that 
I ask for the Settlement, Mr. Doe." 

Don't allow your eagerness for business to tempt 
you into accepting a risky Settlement. If your man 
is "poor pay" the sooner you find it out, the better. 
Test him by requiring some cash with the applica- 
tion. Don't take a chance of being charged with 
the net, which must be settled in sixty days. If 
you are obliged to extend the Settlement beyond 
that period, take a series of notes and make the first 
fall due as soon as possible — not later than thirty 
days. In case you are carrying worthless paper, the 
sooner you know it, the less you will lose. 

The Delivery affords opportunity for service to 
the policyholder which will redound to the benefit 

81 



of the agent. It happens altogether too often that 
when the policy is ready for delivery the insurance 
is yet to be sold. If that is so, the previous proc- 
esses have been faulty. But, even though a Settle- 
ment has been made with the application, the agent 
who mails the policy or merely hands it to his client, 
is missing a favorable chance to advance his own 
interests. 

It is to be assumed that you appreciate the ad- 
vantage of making permanent patrons of policy- 
holders. Success in this respect depends on service. 
The Delivery of the policy presents one of the first 
occasions for rendering a valuable service. There 
are great possibilities in the situation if it is man- 
aged rightly. 

Form the habit of looking upon the Delivery of a 
policy as an important phase of your work, to be 
performed with the same care that you give to 
writing the business. If your client cannot spare the 
necessary time when you leave the policy with him, 
ask for an appointment, and let him understand 
that it is a matter of serious concern to him. 

Your object is to serve the policyholder's inter- 
ests and to advance your own. The former purpose 
is accomplished by going over the contract with 
him and making sure that he understands it thor- 
oughly. Whilst doing this, you should be able to 
increase his satisfaction with the transaction. 

In order to take full advantage of the situation 
you must have a comprehension of its psychology. 
In probably the majority of instances a man is most 
susceptible to the appeal of Life Insurance when he 
has just taken a policy. The arguments in favor of 
it are fresh in his mind. The motive which actuated 

82 



him in taking it is strongly alive. He has the satis- 
faction of knowing that he can get it and he is 
freshly enjoying the possession of it. 

That the man who has just had a policy delivered 
to him is frequently in a favorable attitude to be 
written for another is proved by the fact that so 
many men carry contracts in different companies 
which were issued at about the same time. The 
agent who had the first opportunity didn't take full 
advantage of it and another, coming along shortly 
afterwards, got an application, perhaps for a larger 
amount. 

Now, it is possible to avoid such mishaps by mak- 
ing your Deliveries properly. As you explain the 
contract, bringing out features that had not pre- 
viously been mentioned, make the same effort as 
you did in the original canvass to create desire, — 
but at this time it is desire for more that you are 
trying to create. If your efforts seem to meet with 
success, make a tactful suggestion that an addi- 
tional policy can be secured with no more trouble 
than a request. These tactics will succeed in a sur- 
prising number of instances, especially when a Set- 
tlement has been made with the application for the 
original policy. An impending change of age can 
often be made a clinching argument for an extra 
issue. Tou should also play on the actuating mo- 
tive, which you will surely know by the time of 
making the Delivery, even though you did not when 
making the former canvass. The point to bear in 
mind is that the man who will not consider a cent 
more than $10,000 when he makes application, may 
often be sold another $10,000 when his policy is 
delivered. 

83 



When you have delivered a policy your next log- 
ical Prospect is some connection of the man with 
whom you have just done business. If you have 
made your Delivery in the suggested manner, it 
should not be difficult to secure some introductions 
from your new policyholder. Aim to make the De- 
livery of every policy "a jumping off place M from 
which to garner another application. 



84 



CHAPTER 18. 
INCOME INSURANCE (Part 1.) 

The Income Policy is now quite as much a stand- 
ard form as the Limited Payment Life or the En- 
dowment. Practically all the established compa- 
nies write Income Insurance and the contract has 
been so extensively canvassed that most Prospects 
whom you encounter will have, at least, a knowledge 
of its underlying principle. 

In its continuous form, — that is when the income 
is payable during the life of the beneficiary, — this 
form of insurance affords the most certain and com- 
plete protection to a man's dependents and, conse- 
quently, it appeals to the greatest number of Pros- 
pects. This is sufficient reason for specializing in 
it, but there is an even stronger one. 

A man taking insurance will almost invariably 
apply for an income of much greater commuted 
value than the largest lump sum policy he could be 
induced to carry. And so it follows that the agent 
who makes a specialty of Monthly Income writes 
much more business than he would by offering the 
ordinary forms. 

The records of many agencies indicate that indi- 
vidual and general production are always consid- 
erably increased by pushing the sale of Monthly 
Income Insurance. The proof of this is found in the 
fact that, whilst the average size of lump sum pol- 
icies, taking all companies together, is less than 
$2,500, that of Income policies is in excess of $7,000. 

The reason is simple enough. Take the case of a 
man with a family, who is earning $3,000 a year. 

85 



He probably allows his wife $150 a month to run 
the household. This man, like the vast majority, 
will likely go through life without ever having $10,- 
000 at one time. That appears to him as a large 
sum. He is not accustomed to the possession of 
even moderately large sums of money, but he is ac- 
customed to a comfortable income. 

This man will consider that he is providing gen- 
erously for his family with a $10,000 policy, al- 
though it is the equivalent of $500 a year, at most. 
Interest him in Income Insurance and he will read- 
ily figure on $100 a month, which is more than 
twice the income derivable from a $10,000 policy. 

It is important to get an understanding of the 
psychology of the situation, because your success 
in selling Monthly Income depends upon it. The 
capitalist measures money by its earning power. 
To him $10,000 is the means of securing an incre- 
ment of $500 a year. The average man measures 
money by its purchasing power. He looks at $10,000 
as the means of buying a great deal. His standard 
of money in bulk is low, whilst his standard of in- 
come is comparatively high. 

By far the greater part of the sales of Monthly 
Income Insurance are made up of policies providing 
incomes ranging from $50 to $100 a month, and 
payable to wives. That is to say, the typical con- 
tract is one of moderate amount with the wife as 
beneficiary. Let us consider some of the variations 
from the typical. Appreciation of these will result 
in large increase of business. 

Men of means are disposed to take Monthly In- 
come, chiefly because of the certainty of its pro- 
vision. Many a wealthy man, who would not add 

36 



a cent to his lump sum insurance and, perhaps, 
thinks that he will leave too much in that form, 
can be induced to take a substantial Monthly In- 
come policy. Prospects of this class are usually 
susceptible to a proposition for providing an income 
for a daughter. Some agents do a large business 
by specializing in Monthly Income for rich men's 
daughters. 

There is in every city a large, but generally neg- 
lected, field for the sale of Monthly Income Endow- 
ment. This contract is peculiarly adapted to the 
requirements of salaried men and women, — espe- 
cially teachers, ministers and corporation employ- 
ees, — and even more particularly to lawyers and 
physicians. Professional men are usually too igno- 
rant of business affairs to make investments wisely. 
They are commonly careless in money matters and 
not infrequently spendthrifts. Their life labors 
seldom entail any income after their termination by 
death or disability, as is generally the case with 
merchants and manufacturers. The productiveness 
of* the professional man is on a peculiarly preca- 
rious basis. The lawyer loses his voice, the sur- 
geon's hand is crushed, the physician becomes blind, 
and his earning capacity is immediately destroyed. 
Professional men are almost invariably ready to ad- 
mit the force of these arguments and to appre- 
ciate a proposition that contemplates safeguarding 
against the consequences of adverse contingencies 
and making provision for advanced age with its 
waning faculties. 

Don't overlook the many opportunities to write 
Monthly Income on single men for the benefit of 
parents. Many a young man will respond to this 

87 



appeal, who could not otherwise be interested in 
insurance. Where a parent is partially or entirely 
dependent upon a son, whose income is contingent 
upon his earning' capacity, the lattter is always a 
good Prospect. In such cases, the beneficiary being 
nruch older than the insured, the premium is lower 
than usual. 

There is an idea prevalent among agents that a 
Monthly Income of less than $40 or $50 a month is 
not worth proposing. This is a faulty conclusion. 
On consideration it must be admitted that when a 
man cannot afford more than one unit he had better 
take that than an equivalent lump sum policy. Take 
the case of a laboring man whose limit of purchas- 
ing ability is represented by $2,500 of Life Insur- 
ance. If he takes this and it becomes a claim, the 
probabilities are that his widow will not have a 
dollar of the money two years after receiving it. 
On the other hand, if his policy pays $15 a month it 
is equivalent to life ownership in a .comfortable 
house. And a woman of the wage-earning class, if 
she be assured of a roof over her head, will contrive 
to raise half a dozen small children somehow. 

It may be well to call your attention to the fact 
that Monthly Income insurance may be written in 
connection with small cases of Business Insurance. 
The proposition to cover the business risk and at 
the same time make provision for the family in this 
manner will often make a stronger appeal than any 
other suggestion would. Let us suppose that two 
partners are insuring for the purpose of discharg- 
ing the claim of either 's wife in case of his death. 
An Income policy will serve the object as well as 
any other form. 

88 



CHAPTER 19. 
INCOME INSURANCE (Part 2.) 

The only essential difference between Income In- 
surance and the ordinary forms consists in the 
method of paying the claim. For example, the ordi- 
nary Twenty Payment Life and the Twenty Pay- 
ment Monthly Income policy differ only in the fact 
that one is payable in a lump sum and the other in 
monthly installments. It is necessary, however, to 
understand the construction of the Income contract. 
It cannot be properly presented, otherwise. 

The basic form of the contract is an income of 
$10, payable for 240 months, neither more nor less. 
The policy unit is, therefore, $2,400, payable in 
monthly installments. The lump sum equivalent of 
this will depend upon the reserve basis of the com- 
pany. Let us assume it is $1,820. That is to say, 
$1,820 is the present worth of $2,400, payable at the 
rate of $10 a month for 20 years and improved at 3 
per cent. Consequently, the premium and values of a 
Monthly Income policy of $2,400 will be practically 
the same as those of a lump sum policy of $1,820 
on a corresponding form. 

It is important that you should have a clear un- 
derstanding of the point conveyed in the last sen- 
tence. It will enable you to refute the oft-repeated 
statement of Prospects that the Monthly Income 
policy is " expensive.' ' It costs the same as the 
ordinary corresponding form of insurance, except 
for the loading to make the income continuous for 

89 



life. It is this feature, — the certain income for 
life, — that gives its peculiar value to the contract. 

"Whilst the Continuous Monthly Income policy is 
undoubtedly the best provision for the protection 
of a dependent over devised, the same estimate can- 
not be placed on the limited installment form of 
the contract. The instances are rare indeed in 
which the agent is justified in offering the latter. 

It is difficult to conceive of a condition more 
cruel than that of an aged woman being suddenly 
deprived of an income which had, perhaps, been 
her only means of subsistence. The limited instal- 
ment should never be the sole provision for a bene- 
ficiary, but it may be properly sold in addition to 
a continuous instalment for some specific and tem- 
porary purpose, such as the education and main- 
tenance of minors. 

Only at extreme ages can we be reasonably sure 
that death will occur within twenty years, and at 
such ages the continuous income costs no more than 
the limited. At any age of the beneficiary which 
makes it actually improbable that she will survive 
the insured by more than 20 years, the additional 
charge to make the income continuous for life is 
small in correspondence with the degree of the im- 
probability. 

By far the greater portion of Monthly Income 
insurance is written for the benefit of wives, but 
we should always bear in mind that the protection 
of children is a strong underlying motive and some- 
times the strongest, even when the wife is the spe- 
cific beneficiary. Consequently, in the canvass it is 
advisable to call attention to the fact that the scope 
of the protection must, under all circumstances, 

90 



cover the minority of any children whom the in- 
sured may leave^ 

Prospects frequently raise the objection that un- 
der the Income contract the principal sum is never 
paid. The answer is that the principal is never 
bought. Naturally, $24,000 insurance to be paid in 
a lump sum will cost more than $24,000 to be paid 
in instalments. The premium charged, as may be 
demonstrated with the aid of the rate book, is that 
of the lump sum equivalent of $24,000 Income insur- 
ance, with the addition to make the payments con- 
tinuous for life. The insured does, however, pur- 
chase a principal sum in the commuted value of 
$18,200. He pays for no more than this and may 
substitute it for the income if he wishes. 

It is hardly possible to present the Income Insur- 
ance proposition for a considerable amount without 
exciting the suggestion of the trust company 
method. Consequently, the agent should be pre- 
pared to demonstrate the superior advantages of 
his plan. 

In the first place, the creation of a commercial 
trust necessitates the deposit of a much larger sum 
than the insurance premiums can possibly aggre- 
gate. For instance, a Twenty Payment Life 
Monthly Income policy for $100 a month will cost, 
at average ages, about $12,000 net, if the insured 
outlives the premium paying period. To secure a 
similar income from a trust fund $24,000 must be 
immediately deposited, on the improbable assump- 
tion that 5 per cent can be earned on the amount 
indefinitely. 

A trust company cannot guarantee a specific in- 
come for any period, much less during the life of a 



91 



person. The income enjoyed by the beneficiary of 
a trust fund will depend upon the earnings of the 
company from the investment of that particular 
fund. Furthermore, the insurance element is en- 
tirely absent from the trust method; whereas, un- 
der the policy plan the insured may pay no more 
than one premium. It is true that the principal is 
conserved in the former case, but few men would 
consider this advantage a sufficient offset to the 
lower cost and the insurance protection in the alter- 
native proposition. 

It is an axiom of selling that the simpler the prop- 
osition the better for the salesman. The Monthly 
Income policy is unequaled in this respect. You 
have one strong, appealing selling point, — the per- 
fect safety and completeness of the protection. The 
beneficiary is absolutely assured of the income for 
life. It cannot be lost, impaired, hypothecated, nor 
otherwise diverted from the purpose which the in- 
sured has in mind. By dwelling on this superlatively 
important point you will make a much more con- 
vincing canvass than if you should explain the nu- 
merous other benefits of the contract and so distract 
your Prospect's mind from the main feature. 

Having created a Desire for the policy, you will 
find the following a striking method of showing its 
comparatively low cost: 

"In consideration of your paying to the company 
$780, less dividends, for a maximum period of 
twenty years, — you may, of course, make no more 
than one payment, — the company agrees to pay to 
your beneficiary $1,200 a year for a minimum period 
of twenty years and as much longer as she may live. 
Or, to put it another way, in consideration of your 

92 



paying to the company a trifle more than 3 per cent 
of $24,000 for twenty years at most, the company 
agrees to pay to your beneficiary 5 per cent of the 
same sum for twenty years at least and possibly for 
fifty." 



an 



CHAPTER 20. 

BUSINESS INSURANCE (Part 1.) 

The primary purpose of any sort of insurance is 
to furnish indemnity for the loss of a valuable as- 
set. Strangely enough, business men insured against 
the less serious and more reparable class of casual- 
ties for years before they awoke to the utility of 
Life Insurance as a means of securing compensa- 
tion for what is often the greatest mishap that may 
befall a corporation or firm, — that is the loss of 
brain power through death. 

In late years, however, appreciation of this pro- 
tective agency has been widely evinced. During the 
past decade an enormous volume of Business Insur- 
ance has been written for the benefit of commercial 
concerns. At the same time, individuals of means 
have learned the advantage of providing ready cash 
for the settlement of their estates and the discharge 
of Inheritance Taxes, through the medium of Life 
Insurance. 

Specializing in Business Insurance has certain 
advantages for the agent. The proposition is less 
difficult to introduce than one for personal insur- 
ance. The former is comparatively novel and a 
business man is naturally receptive to matters affect- 
ing the interests of his company or firm. The gen- 
eral run of business policies is in amounts much 
larger than the average of domestic policies. Set- 
tlements with business concerns are usually more 
satisfactory than those with individuals and busi- 

94 



ness policies have the smallest ratio of lapse. If he 
is alive to the opportunity, the agent who places 
insurance for a business house can almost always 
make the transaction a stepping stone to the pro- 
curement of several individual applications. 

As an offset to these advantages must be placed 
the fact that negotiations for corporation insurance 
are frequently protracted and only a small percent- 
age of those opened are carried to a successful con- 
clusion. The experienced and wide-awake agent 
will find compensation for the disappointments and 
loss of time incident to failures, in the personal in- 
surance which may frequently be written when the 
negotiation for Business Insurance falls through. 

Securing large applications for Business Insur- 
ance, whether from corporations, firms or individ- 
uals, calls for certain qualifications on the part of 
the agent. A man who does not possess these had 
better not specialize on this class of business, at 
least until he has fitted himself to do so with a fair 
prospect of success. 

Although some knowledge of Business Insurance 
and appreciation of its value is now general among 
commercial concerns, very few of them realize a 
need of it in their own cases until it is pointed out 
to them. The agent must originate the proposition 
and in order to perceive where a need exists and 
how it can best be met, he must have a general 
knowledge of business affairs. He should also be 
familiar with banking practice and commercial law, 
in so far as they may affect his proposition. 

Furthermore, to meet men of affairs and to deal 
with them successfully, the agent must be a man of 
more than ordinary weight. He must have the fac- 

95 



ulty of presenting a proposition, concisely, clearly, 
forcibly and logically. He must possess tact, pa- 
tience, judgment and fortitude under disappoint- 
ment. This is a pretty wide range of qualities and, 
unless an agent can honestly lay claim to the pos- 
session of most of them, he had better not devote 
his time to the pursuit of large applications for 
Business Insurance. 

Life Insurance may be made to serve the needs of 
business concerns in so many different ways that 
only a few can be mentioned at present. There is 
no concern but would gain in stability and elasticity 
by the possession of Life Insurance, for it is both a 
conserving and a developing agency. It conserves 
by introducing an element of safety and reserve. It 
develops by affording capital and enhancing credit. 

Corporations find Life Insurance on the Endow- 
ment plan the most economical and practical me- 
dium for creating sinking funds for the retirement 
of bonds, to meet depreciation of plant, and to dis- 
charge various definite liabilities. It is well known 
that bonds and stocks with Life Insurance behind 
them are more attractive to investors than other- 
wise. Some corporations issue bonds with Endow- 
ment policies as specific appropriation for their re- 
demption. Stockholders sometimes insist on Life 
Insurance as a precaution against the premature 
death of an especially valuable official. 

It is not infrequently the case that one man is a 
predominating factor in the success of a business. 
His death would derange organization, decrease effi- 
ciency of operation, mar the company's prospects 
and impair its standing with the public. The pay- 
ment of a substantial indemnity for the loss of his 



life and services would minimize the adverse effects 
and place the corporation in a favorable position to 
repair the injury. 

It is now common practice among corporations to 
insure the life of an officer whose business expe- 
rience, technical knowledge, executive ability or 
financial influence is sufficiently extraordinary to be 
considered a valuable asset. For similar reasons 
many companies carry Life Insurance upon man- 
agers and other employes whose positions in the 
event of death it would be difficult to fill. 



CHAPTER 21. 

BUSINESS INSURANCE (Part 2.) 

Close corporations — that is, those in which the 
stock is retained in a few hands, — are much like 
co-partnerships in character and their insurance 
needs are similar. Although the scope of Life In- 
surance is not so varied in the affairs of a partner- 
ship as in those of a corporation, the necessity for 
it is generally greater among concerns of the former 
class. Statistics of mercantile agencies indicate 
that over 90 per cent of all commercial failures are 
among concerns capitalized at less than $21,000. 

Firms frequently fail or retire from business on 
the death of one of the members. The chief causes 
of this are the superior ability or financial worth of 
the deceased, or a demand by his estate for a cash 
settlement of his interest. Life Insurance would 
greatly lessen the difficulty of filling the gap in the 
firm; it would counteract the effect of the loss by 
increasing the financial resources of the concern; 
and it would afford means of discharging the lia- 
bility to the deceased's estate without impairment 
of working capital. 

The possession of Business Insurance enhances 
banking and trading credit. Mercantile agencies 
consider it in calculating ratings and report the Life 
Insurance carried by corporations and firms, as well 
as personal insurance carried by their officers and 
members. Credit men of wholesale and manufactur- 
ing companies take it into account. Life Insurance 

98 



payable to the business frequently enables jobbing 
and retail houses to obtain goods in excess of the 
amount which would be warranted by the sole se- 
curity of the capital and general assets. 

While Life Insurance is a charge against the busi- 
ness, it is also an asset of it. The constantly in- 
creasing cash value of a policy creates a reserve 
fund that is immediately available in time of need 
and which has been the direct means of saving hun- 
dreds of firms from bankruptcy or liquidation. The 
books of a concern that carries Business Insurance 
should exhibit these cash and loan values, which are 
among the very best assets of the business. 

The form of policy to recommend in a case of 
Business Insurance is a comparatively simple mat- 
ter. If the purpose is to form a sinking fund or to 
create capital reserve, Endowment must be taken. 
When the chief object is to provide indemnity for 
death, Ordinary Life will best accomplish it. An 
active business concern should not put any more 
money into Life Insurance than is necessary to se- 
cure the purpose in view. In rare instances this 
may be done through the medium of Term Insur- 
ance, but only when it is absolutely certain that the 
need of protection will exist for a few years only. 
Experience proves that, even in these cases, it hap- 
pens very often that when the anticipated period 
of need has expired, the concern finds itself still 
requiring insurance and wishing that it had been 
taken upon a permanent form in the first instance. 
After six or seven years the net cost of insurance 
under Ordinary Life, — arrived at by deducting the 
cash value from the gross outlay, — will be less than 
the cost under a Term policy. 

99 



Many agents entertain the idea that the Joint 
policy is the best, if not the only proper form to 
propose to co-partners. As a matter of fact, it 
should be offered only under one condition, and that 
is when the firm cannot afford to pay the premium 
required for the desired amount of insurance, under 
single policies. In all other circumstances, it is to 
the advantage of the interested concern, of the 
company, and of the agent, that individual policies 
should be aken. The cash values of two separate 
contracts will be proportionately greater than that 
of a joint policy. The latter will terminate on the 
payment of a claim, when it may happen that the 
survivor has great need for continued insurance. If 
the joint contract should be converted to single 
policies the protection of each individual will be 
reduced by half, at least. 

Agents quite generally think that "Business In- 
surance" necessarily implies dealing with officers 
of companies for large amounts of insurance, and, 
feeling unequal to such work, decide that the field 
is closed to them. The truth of the matter is that 
greater scope for writing Business Insurance will 
be found among small concerns. This because they 
are vastly more numerous than corporations and 
have greater need for the protection. This, prac- 
tically limitless field, is hardly touched. It is open to 
any agent of ordinary intelligence. No technical 
knowledge nor qualifications of a special character 
are required for success. 

Every city contains thousands of small partner- 
ships and one-man concerns that are good Prospects 
for Business Insurance. These range from the lit- 
tle corner grocery, representing an investment of a 

100 



few thousand dollars, to the newly started machine 
shop or manufacturing concern, with barely enough 
capital for operating expenses. The men engaged 
in such enterprises know that they are skating on 
thin ice and taking big chances. They realize the 
consequences that would follow an early death and 
can readily be made to see the value of Life Insur- 
ance as a safeguard. In many instances of this 
sort, Business Insurance can be written when the 
appeal for Domestic Insurance fails. In the case of 
the small concern, Business Insurance embraces Do- 
mestic Insurance to a more than ordinary extent, 
because the welfare of the small business man's 
home is directly and entirely dependent upon the 
prosperity of his business. 



101 



THE LINDSAY SYSTEM 

WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT DOES. 

The Lindsay System is a Course of Instruction in Life In- 
surance Salesmanship. It has stood the test of application 
to more than 4,000 agents. Companies, agency officials, man- 
agers, and field men, by hundreds, have strongly endorsed it. 

The Lindsay System is intensely practical. It has been 
rewritten time and again, with a view to excluding super- 
fluities. It has been pared and trimmed in order to reduce 
technicalities to the limits of actual utility. Every sentence 
was composed with the thought in the author's mind: "Can 
this be turned to account in the agent's work?" 

A general defect in the educational methods of our busi- 
ness has been failure to take adequate concern for the raw 
material. The results have been similar to those which would 
be experienced by a manufacturer who should have no re- 
gard for the character or quality of fabrics consumed in his 
factory. 

The Lindsay System is original in that it stresses the de- 
velopment of an efficient man as the essential basis for an 
efficient Salesman. The technicalities and principles of Life 
Insurance are fully covered, but the agent is also taught 
how to cultivate the personal qualities, without which he 
cannot effectively apply technical knowledge and ability. 

Today, Life Insurance Salesmanship is recognized as a 
highly specialized business and one in which no considerable 
degree of success can be obtained without technical know- 
ledge and attractive personality. The agent who would ad- 
vance beyond mediocrity must possess these essentials. No 
other qualities, conditions or advantages will compensate for 
the lack of them. 

Some agents have a fair amount of technical know- 
ledge which has been picked up piecemeal in the course of 
long service, but it is necessarily faulty and incomplete. A 
passable degree of expert skill may be secured by expe- 
rience, although, at best, it is unscientific and slowly ac- 



quired. Many men are naturally endowed with attractive 
personality which, however, is seldom free from flaws, un- 
less it has been perfected by cultivation. 

Training and instruction are the short cuts and the only 
sure routes to attainment of technical knowledge, expert 
skill and attractive personality. The Lindsay System of 
Life Insurance Salesmanship is designed to produce the con- 
ditions in question and can not fail to accomplish the ob- 
ject — provided the student does his part. The instruction em- 
braces personal efficiency, the fundamental technicalities of 
our business and the theory of scientific salesmanship. The 
training consists of the application of the principles and di- 
rections advanced. 

What is Salesmanship? Nothing more than the art of cre- 
ating in the mind of another a desire for something one has 
to dispose of. 

The essence of salesmanship is then, the creation of De- 
sire. How is this to be accomplished? By persuasion; that 
is by influence. There are two methods of exercising per- 
suasion. They are Argument and Suggestion, — overt appeal 
to reason and subtle excitement of favorable thoughts and 
feelings. 

There, in brief, is the sum and substance of the sales- 
man's work. Every case he canvasses will involve dis- 
tinctly peculiar factors, but, in the final analysis, success will 
always depend upon the creation of desire by means of per- 
suasion and through the medium of argument or suggestion, 
generally both. 

The chief requirement of salesmanship is exercise of the 
faculty of persuasion. If the salesman does not possess it 
in adequate degree, its cultivation should be his principal 
object. How is he going to attain it? By the development 
of an ideal personality, to be sure. That is the all-important 
consideration and the essential basis of salesmanship ability. 
The manner of man he is must determine the degree of suc- 
cess he will have. Let him acquire personal efficiency and 
the rest will be mere child's play. 

The possession of attractive personal qualities manifests 
in that indefinable power we call Magnetism. A fortunate 
few are naturally magnetic, but it is within the power of 
any man to acquire magnetism by the cultivation of char- 



acter. It is not merely pleasing personality that we have in 
mind, but also the more serviceable and admirable traits 
such as courage, poise, forcefulness and so forth. This per- 
sonally efficient man will not lack the power of persuasion. 

This is the big thing — the sine qua non — but it does not 
exhaust the requirement. The salesman will need to turn 
his personal qualities to effective account. And this he may 
do by making them the medium for the practice of the prin- 
ciples of salesmanship. Study and exercise in the science 
of selling, coincidently with the cultivation of personality, 
will develop the practical ability to create Desire. 

The Lindsay System will enable a man to get down to 
innate sources of power. It gives directions and exercises 
for the development of Efficiency, which is simply Right 
Thinking, Eight Being, and Right Doing. Under the divi- 
sions of Mental Efficiency, Physical Efficiency and Func- 
tional Efficiency, the System affords practical instruction in 
the cultivation of Ideal Personality. 

In the second section of this Course will be found all the 
knowledge of Life Insurance that the salesman needs in or- 
der to write it intelligently. This is coupled with directions 
for the most effective performance of every phase of the 
work. Thus, the System provides for the acquisition of per- 
sonality, knowledge and skill. The balanced combination of 
these makes the ideal salesman. 

The benefits obtainable from this Course are not to be ex- 
pected without intelligent effort. Like everything worth 
while, efficiency must be paid for by hard work and per- 
sistent endeavor. The best results will be secured by sys- 
tematic study. Certain hours of two or three evenings of 
each week should be regularly devoted to the purpose. In 
order to insure the desired effect the lessons should be read 
and re-read until their contents are thoroughly absorbed. 
Every time that a paper is reviewed it will reveal new 
angles and suggest new ideas. 

The all-important matter is the application of the theory. 
Every principle advanced and every direction given in the 
lessons should be put to practical test as often as possible. 
Daily work and leisure hours will afford constant oppor- 
tunities for these exercises, which constitute training. 



Any agent who will faithfully follow the System and per- 
sistently practice the directions cannot fail to increase his 
production substantially in a few months. This is not mere 
surmise, but a matter of fact. Scores have testified to more 
than doubled business capacity as a consequence of studying 
this Course. 

CONTENTS OF THE COURSE 

Introduction, describing the System and the Methods em- 
ployed. 

SECTION ONE 

Mental Efficiency 

Lesson 1. Suggestion — Auto-Suggestion. 

Lesson 2. Will — Perseverance — Concentration. 

Lesson 3. Fear — Timidity — Worry. 

Lesson 4. Cheerfulness — Sociability. 

Lesson 5. Poise — Observation— Memory. 

Lesson 6. Purpose — Ambition — Ideals. 

Physical Efficiency 

Lesson 7. Various Phases of Hygiene. 

Lesson 8. Food — Diet Regulation. 

Lesson 9. Exercise — Recreation. 

Lesson 10. Rest — Relaxation. 



Lesson 11. 
Lesson 12. 
Lesson 13. 



Lesson 1. 

Lesson 2. 

Lesson 3. 

Lesson 4, 

Lesson 5. 



Functional Efficiency 

Time Consumption. 

Records — Plans. 

Scheduling — Despatching— Standardizing. 

SECTION TWO 
Fundamental Knowledge 

History of Life Insurance. 

Systems of Life Insurance — Legal Reserve 

Systems of Life Insurance — Assessment. 

Elements of Life Insurance. 

Forms of Life Insurance. 



Salesmanship 



Lesson 6. 


Prospects. 


Lesson 7. 


Pre-approach — Preparation. 


Lesson 8. 


Approach— Creating Interest. 


Lesson 9. 


Presentation. 


Lesson 10. 


Close. 


Lesson 11. 


Practical Psychology. 


Lesson 12. 


Standard Methods. 


Lesson 13. 


Business Insurance. 



Quiz Papers and Examinations Tests. Certificates, etc. 

The Course is printed on loose leaves, suitable for insertion 
in a binder, so as to admit of revisions and the addition of 
papers which will be issued from time to time. 

The following are a few expressions from the hundreds in 
our possession. Names and addresses of any of the writers 
will be furnished on application. 

te I have gained new ideas and have a better system of get- 
ting Prospects. Formerly I seldom closed on first interview. 
Saturday I wrote three applications, all on the first inter- 
view." B. A. O'K. 

"The Prospect stated that he had all the insurance he 
wanted. I used the reply suggested in the lesson. I got the 
application. ' * G. D. F. 

"I am more sure of myself and feel greater strength from 
a sense of being competent. For the first fifteen days of this 
month I have written $34,500 of business. ' ' H. W. S. 

"Look at the record. More than twice as much written 
in the six months since I finished the course than in any six 
months before." F. S. L. 

"It has turned me from a poor part time man into a pret- 
ty good full timer — $23,750 paid for last month and going 
to do better next." E. A. McA. 

"I have read the Lessons over several times and each time 
I find something new in them. The Course is a never-end- 
ing stimulus and aid." R. P. O. 

"I fail to understand how anyone can read these papers 
without being filled with unlimited energy and enthusiasm 
for his work. Every time I read one I get a fresh supply 
of pep." C. H. H. 



" Taking the Course after seven years of indifferent re- 
sults, I find first, that I had a lot of latent ability which 
I wasn 't using and, second, that my methods had been waste- 
ful of energy and badly directed. Now I know how to go 
about my work in an expert manner and make every effort 
tell. My business has improved a hundred per cent, at least.' ' 

C. D. 

"Most of my men have taken your Course and, as a re- 
sult, the business of the Agency has increased greatly and the 
morale of the force is much improved. You are doing a 
wonderful work. M P. I. M. 

Some of the Companies using the Lindsay System: 

National Life Insurance Co., Montpelier, Vt. 

State Mutual Life Insurance Co., Worcester, Mass. 

Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Co., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Occidental Life Insurance Co., Los Angeles, Cal. 

Sun Life Assurance Co., Montreal, Canada. 

Peoria Life Insurance Co., Peoria, 111. 

Ohio National Life Insurance Co., Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Central Life Insurance Co., Crawfordsville, Ind. 

Standard Life Insurance Co., Decatur, 111. 

Illinois Life Insurance Co., Chicago, 111. 

Federal Life Insurance Co., Chicago, 111. 

Iowa Life Insurance Co., Waterloo, Iowa. 

Equitable Life Insurance Co., Des Moines, Iowa. 

Northern Life Assurance Co., London, Canada. 

Great West Life Assurance Co., Winnipeg, Canada. 

Mutual Life Insurance Co., (Chicago Agency). 

Provident Life & Trust Co., (New York Agency). 

George Washington Life Insurance Co., Charleston, W. Va. 

West Coast Life Insurance Co., San Francisco, Cal. 

Minnesota Mutual Life Insurance Co., St. Paul, Minn. 

Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. (Canadian Agencies.) 

Individuals taking this Course enjoy the benefit of per- 
sonal supervision and direction by Mr. Forbes Lindsay. 
Managers may secure clubbing rates for their agents. 
Terms and further particulars on application. 

FORBES LINDSAY SALES SEEYICE, 
San Gabriel, California. , 



THE DAY'S WORK 



BY 

FORBES LINDSAY 



A collection of essays and articles 
on various subjects relating to &e 
business of Life Insurance Sales- 
manship. These are re-printed 
in response to frequent requests 
for copies of one or another of 
4iem. The volume will afford 
an occasional half hour's profitable 
and pleasurable reading to any 
man who is interested in Life 
Insurance. 

Price postpaid $2.00 

The Day's Work and Life Insur- 
ance Salesmanship in combination 

$4.00. 



Forbes Lindsay Sales Service 

SAN GABRIEL, CALIF. 



WE GET RESULTS 



The Forbes Lindsay Sales Service is prepared to 
co-operate with companies and agencies in various 
■ways. The following are some of the services w'hich 
Mr. Forbes Lindsay is performing with the utmost satis- 
faction to the patrons concerned. 

Acting as Business Counselor for several 

companies, advising on organization and operation of field 
forces, planning sales campaigns, furnishing information 
and discharging numerous tasks of a similar character. 

Writing pampKlets and literature for a 

variety of purposes, preparing copy for advertisements 
and circular letters, contributing to company organs and 
making addresses at agency conventions. 

Supplying a "Weekly Service" of letters 

and talks for the use of general agencies, and a "Monthly 
Service" for agency executives and managers. 

We are equipped to meet any demand for service 
in connection with the producing branch of the Life 
Insurance business. 

FORBES LINDSAY SALES SERVICE 

SAN GABRIEL, CALIFORNIA 



To Home Office Executives 
and Agency Managers 



We are prepared to furnish a 
variety of services in connec- 
tion wifh field administration 
and operation. Correspond- 
ence is invited. 



FORBES LINDSAY SALES SERVICE 

SAN GABRIEL, CALIF. 



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